


Journey

by neru_nerd7



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Loss of Virginity, Mild Language, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:48:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 22
Words: 34,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21751741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neru_nerd7/pseuds/neru_nerd7
Summary: A new arcana and a new confidant - Akira is pursuing your route.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren (Persona Series)/Reader, Kurusu Akira/Reader, Persona 5 Protagonist/Reader
Comments: 57
Kudos: 752





	1. Journey Arcana, Rank 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction on AO3, so sorry that my tags are sparse. I'm learning the formatting and the first chapter is short, but I promise it'll be better.

You'll never forget the first moment you saw him. Not because he stood out in any particular way, but because you had marveled at how stupid a person would have to be to try and sneak a cat into a movie theater.

"Sir!" You called out to get his attention, abandoning your colleague at the ticket booth to pursue him. "Sir, you can't bring animals into the movie theater."

The boy glanced over his shoulder at the cat in his bag, either as if noticing it for the first time or even consulting it! And responded, "Can you let it slide?"

"Wh- of course not! I'm not trying to get fired!"

"I beg you." He bows lightly, touching his straightened hand to his forehead."

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I'll do anything." He stared straight into my eyes, and I caught a glimpse of his piercing obsidian gaze hidden behind thick glasses and dark curls.

You were flustered enough by those eyes; his plea only rattled you further. "A-Anything? You'll go that far for a cat?!"

He only continued to stare. "I beg you," he repeated.

You took a moment to consider. You could definitely use this, somehow... but you couldn't think of anything yet. "Hm... " You needed to stall for time. "Well... if you promise that the cat will stay quiet and inside the bag, I'll let it slide this one time. I can avert my eyes more, however, if you see me after the movie."

He nodded as the corners of his lips turned slightly upwards before continuing into the movie theater, shoving his hands back into his pockets. You watched him leave until your colleague yelled for you to come back and help him. You returned to work, his gaze still lingering in your mind's eye.

* * *

You saw him again while you were mopping around the snack corner; your eyes met and he immediately walked over to you. You secretly breathed a sigh of relief; once you had decided what to ask him, you realized he'd never agreed to meet you after his movie ended. You paused your work as he approached. "You wanted to make a deal?"

"Er, yeah... I mean, yes. I'll be frank - this theater is suffering. There isn't a lot of traffic through Yongen-Jaya, and people usually prefer the Shibuya theater anyway. So here's what's gonna happen if you wanna keep bringing your cat into the theater: you're gonna come often, _and_ you're gonna bring friends. Deal?

The boy grinned, almost deviously. "Deal." 

"Great," you sighed. "Anyway, my name is _____ ________. What's yours?" 

"Akira Kurusu." 

"Kurusu...?" You had a funny feeling you'd heard that name before, but you brushed it aside for now. "Right, nice to make your acquaintance. I look forward to seeing you here again." 

"Likewise." Triumphantly pushing his glasses up his nose, he turned and briskly left the theater. You returned to your mopping, but that familiar sensation was nagging at the foreground of your concentration. _Kurusu... where have I heard that name before?_

* * *


	2. Journey Arcana, Rank 2

You started seeing Kurusu every couple days or so at the movie theater after school. As promised, he brought friends, but you were surprised to realize that you recognize some of them. They were students from Shujin Academy, where you also attended school. You spotted Ryuji Sakamoto, the infamous delinquent, and Makoto Niijima, the student council president. Seeing them is what makes you remember Kurusu's true identity; he was the transfer student surrounded in shady rumours regarding his arrest and lawsuit the previous year. This information scared you, but come to think of it, he'd been a model student thus far. Students in his class said he takes excellent notes and always answers the teacher's questions correctly. Was he really a bad guy? 

You were pondering these thoughts outside of a theater room, when Kurusu himself suddenly appeared in front of you, his gaze as soul-piercing as always. You jumped when you finally noticed him staring intently at you. "A-Ah, Kurusu-san... sorry, I didn't see you. You're alone today?"

He nodded. "Are you going to watch the movie?"

"Huh? Well... I'm a valet today, so technically I am. Why?"

The corners of his lips curled upwards. "Want to watch it with me?" 

"W-With you?!" His invitation caught you off-guard; just a few moments ago you'd been thinking about all of the rumours surrounding him. "Not that watching a movie with you would be bad! It might be fun!" _What am I saying? Do I even want to watch a movie with him? Would it be bad to do that on the job?_ Your mind raced in panic and shock, but he continued to stare into your eyes. Something about that gaze calmed you; persuaded you that everything would be okay. And didn't you deserve a little bit of fun? "I... yes. Okay... I might have to get up if someone starts causing problems, but I guess there's nothing wrong with sitting down if there are any available seats... which there always is..." You sighed and consigned yourself over. "Okay, go wait for me in the theater. I have to finish welcoming people in, but I'll join you once the commercials end." 

Then Kurusu gave you a smile; a triumphant smile, but genuine nonetheless. Your heart fluttered just softly enough that you missed it while locked in his gaze, and he waved as he disappeared into the theater. After a moment, you blinked and woke from your trance, resuming your post outside the theater.

When you heard the movie's logos begin, you made your way inside the theater. Heart pounding - from anxiety about taking up a seat? About sitting next to _him?_ \- you searched for his face and found it. When he saw you approaching, he thankfully didn't call out or wave, just nodded in acknowledgement of your presence. You sat next to him and he offered you some popcorn. Not wanting to take product from a paying customer, you declined and kept an eye out for misbehaving guests. An action movie began on the screen, and although you'd already seen it twice, you risked losing focus on the task at hand. It pulled at your most secret desires, your reason for moving here in the first place, your lifelong dream of - _shoot, is someone really using their phone right now?_ If they didn't stop soon, you'd have to confront them. _They'd better not be posting spoilers,_ you thought.

* * *

When the lights came back on, you stretched while Kurusu touched his chin and reflected. "What did you think of it?" you asked him, hoping to sound like a concerned employee and not a fan yourself. 

"The protagonist was very proficient in his work. I could probably learn from him." Before you could inquire about what exactly _that_ loaded statement meant, he turned to you. "You seemed really into it yourself." 

_Shoot._ "M-Me?! No, of course not! I was diligently watching for..." His amused smile told you that you weren't getting away with it. "... Okay, so... it's kind of my favorite movie being shown right now... not very girly, is it?" 

Kurusu shrugged. "The guy that brings cats into the movie theater shouldn't judge." 

"Shhhh! Not so loud!" You glanced around, trying to see if any lingering souls had heard you and were going to report you to your manager, but luckily only the two of you remained. You sighed in relief. "You're right; you shouldn't judge." Considering all the rumours, anyway... 

"Do you like action movies?" Kurusu leaned back in his seat, showing no intention of leaving and letting you clean the theater. 

"It's not really action movies themselves, I guess... I prefer adventure books, mostly." 

"You read?" 

"Of course! It's the closest thing to..." _Crap, don't go spilling your guts for this rando!_

"Closest thing to... what?" he prompted. 

"You're stubborn, aren't you? And awfully nosy." You'd had enough of him for today. "I need to clean the theater... please." 

He nodded and stood. "I'll come again," he promised, but to you it almost could have been a threat of more trouble. You tried not to roll your eyes, instead putting on your best customer service face as you waved him off. Once he left, you got out the broom and dust pan, sweeping up crumbs of popcorn and candy. Your mind drifted back to him as you worked. _He's definitely a rebel,_ you thought, _whether the rumours are true or not..._ You considered your beating heart and how it thumped in your chest thinking about him, like some sort of cliche rom-com. _And he's real damn annoying,_ you concluded.

* * *


	3. Journey Arcana, Rank 3

You'd thought that Kurusu had invited you to view a movie with him for the last time, especially after you'd been so cross with him before. Yet here he stood before you again, a week later, shooting through your heart with _those eyes_. He wanted you to sit with him once again, this time for a horror flick. Normally you didn't mind them, but with your heart acting irregularly as it always did when he showed up (for _no discernable reason,_ mind you), you weren't 100% confident in your ability to maintain a professional demeanor.

"Look," you started with a sigh, "Before was a one-time thing, okay? I do actually have a job to do here. I need to stick to it or my manager will get mad at me."

"Your manager doesn't have to know about it," he said with a low voice. There was that mischievous smile again; impish like a devil. You hated how easily he could manipulate you - and that he himself knew it.

Not this time. "My answer is no, okay?" You'd expected him to shrug, or to grin and try again, but he didn't. Instead he looked... dejected. Genuinely disappointed. _That_ made your heart drop to the pit of your stomach. "D-Don't make that face... fine, I'll watch it with you. This is really the last time, okay?" He smiled at you, one of his rare genuine smiles, and walked into the theater with satisfaction.

So maybe he'd manipulated you again. A part of you hidden under layers of stress knew he wasn't going to leave you alone anytime soon, and wondered if it would be easier if you stopped fighting him.

* * *

You and Kurusu sat quietly through the movie for the first half. It was a classic slasher film, with idiotic characters and cliche villains. You knew it would be _so_ easy to win if it were you battling the bad guy instead of the frat girl. This thought was lingering in your mind when your ears picked up the sound of arguing from the back of the theater.

"Come on, I've been waiting for this all day." 

"Hun, stop it! We're in public...!" 

"Exactly, so _keep your voice down,_ or we'll get caught..." 

They were disrupting the movie. Time for you to step in. You rose from your seat and clicked your flashlight on, approaching the arguing couple. "Sir, miss, you're disturbing the other viewers. I'm going to have to ask you to leave the theater." 

The man scowled at me, before turning his fury on his girlfriend. "See, we got caught because of you! Now you've wasted my hard-earned money." 

"I didn't even _want_ to see this movie!" the woman argued. 

"Please allow me to escort you from the theater," you repeated, stepping back to let them stand. 

"Nuh-uh. The broad can go, but _I'm_ getting what I paid for!" 

" _Broad?!_ " 

"That's right, you heard me! If I knew you were gonna be so damn annoying I wouldn't have asked you out!" 

"Sir, it is time for you to leave." 

"Don't come any closer, bitch!" His glare was suddenly interrupted by something behind you. You turned and saw Kurusu glaring back at him with a darkness you hadn't seen from him before. 

"You heard her," he said quietly. "Get out. The rest of us are trying to enjoy the movie." 

"You wanna start something, kid?" Kurusu said nothing, but stood firm. His fists were clenched. You saw in his eyes that he would force the man from the theater if he had to. The man scoffed, and stood up. "This place is super lame, anyway. I only came here because it's so damn deserted. You lost a paying customer today; hope you don't need the revenue." He and the woman, presumably now his ex, left the theater.

"You didn't have to do that," you whispered. "I had it under control." 

"He was about to hit someone," Kurusu argued. "I couldn't let anything happen. It wouldn't be right." 

"Huh... who knew the cat smuggler had such a strong sense of justice." 

He gave you another smile, acknowledging your shared secret. "Let's get back to the movie." 

* * *

The movie ended exactly as you had predicted. You got up and prepared to get out some cleaning supplies while Kurusu reflected again. "It takes guts to watch a movie like that, doesn't it? That means I've gotten braver." 

"Hm?" 

"Oh, nothing. I'll be on my way now. Watching this movie with you was fun." He stood to leave, but you had something on your mind. 

"K-Kurusu-san?" He turned back to look at you, waiting patiently for you to find your words. "... Um... About earlier... I still think you should've let me handle it, but... I should've thanked you as well. So... I'm thanking you now." 

Kurusu grinned at you. "You're pretty tough yourself. You didn't even waver." 

"Well, it's my job..." 

"Hm. Hey, _______-chan? You don't have to be so formal." 

"O-Oh?" You were immensely flustered by the familiar way he referred to you; you almost didn't notice how he probably meant that you should refer to him casually as well. "Oh... then shall I call you Kurusu-kun?" 

"It's a start," he said with a kind smile. "Later." You found yourself watching him leave again. You shook your head to clear it and resumed cleaning. _Maybe... not such an annoying guy..._

* * *


	4. Journey Arcana, Rank 4

Kurusu hadn't visited in a few days.

Of course, you didn't really care, since he was just a customer. But you'd gotten used to his pattern of coming to the theater so often. Teasing you with his smile, enrapturing you with his eyes, brushing his hair away from his glasses... and being annoying, of course. If he truly had stopped caring about the deal, perhaps you could return to actually focusing on your job. Maybe you'd be able to sleep at night without going over your encounters with him endlessly in your head. Maybe you could forget you ever felt anything at all for him. You expected a wave of relief, but instead you felt... empty. As if a great adventure had escaped you. Would he have been your first adventure? Did you mess it up?

_Is this... my fault?_

"Hey."

You jumped to a start. Your shift had ended for the night, and you were about to go home and study before bed. But _he_ evidently had different plans, as he was waiting for you outside of the theater. "Kurusu-kun?! I... I thought... that is to say, where have you been the past few days...? Erm, you haven't been sick, right? That's all..." Smooth.

His eyes sparkled in amusement, even as he put on a sympathetic smile. "Sorry. I got caught up in some business. But I'm here now, and I figured I'd walk you home to make up for my absence."

"What do you mean? It's not like you're obligated to come here or anything..."

Kurusu paused, as if trying to decide on what to say. "Well, I missed you."

Yep, that did it. Your face glowed red in the night air, and you ducked your head to hide it. "You're not gonna give up on this, are you?"

"You know me well, _______-chan."

You sighed. "Fine... it's not far from here. I live in the area." You began to walk in the direction of your home.

"Really?" Kurusu inquired as he followed you. "What a coincidence; I live here too."

"What?"

"Yeah, in the space over Leblanc. Do you know it?"

"Of course I know Leblanc! I go there for my break all the time. Boss knows me pretty well." He didn't carry snacks, but his coffee was utterly rejuvenating, and if you'd had an especially bad day at work you could always count on a hot plate of his curry to restore your energy.

"Does he? Sojiro, that bastard. He was holding out on me."

"What do you mean?" The idle conversation was beginning to cool your nerves.

Kurusu turned to look at you with a sly grin. "He didn't tell me there was such a pretty girl working at the theater."

If the body had air conditioning, yours just exploded. Every cell above your shoulders was on fire from embarrassment. _Where did he learn to flirt like that?!_ Moreover, _why_ was he flirting like that?

All too soon, you were nearing your apartment complex, when you noticed your landlord, waiting on the steps to your unit with a bottle of whiskey and a flushed face. _Shit, did it have to be now?_

"Kurusu-kun, I'm sorry..."

"Huh? What for?"

"H-Hey, ________!" You flinched, standing still as your landlord wobbled to a standing position and approached you. "You're late for your rent again, you know..."

"Y-Yes... I'm still saving to pay off the last time..."

"Don't worry about it!" he slurred, interrupting himself to belch. "I'm a kind and g-generous man... but my kindness only goes so thin, ya know...?"

"Yes, I know..."

"I'm gonna have to charge ya more interest then..."

"I understand..." Your eyes burned; tears of embarrassment and fear threatened to fall from your eyes. Your landlord noticed this and grinned.

"But since you look tired, girly, I'll leave ya alone tonight... I'll just- _urp_ \- come callin' later. See ya...!" And with that, he wobbled into his own unit.

You felt Kurusu's stare on your trembling back. "Sorry you... had to see that... I guess I owe you an explanation now, huh..." You wiped your eyes, forcing a smile for him. "Why don't you come inside for some tea?"

* * *

"When I moved out here," you explained while pouring two cups of tea, "My parents agreed to pay for my tuition, but I would have to accommodate myself in terms of food and shelter. This apartment is cheap, and the Yongen-Jaya theater was hiring, so..." You moved to sit down, bringing the tea tray with you. Kurusu smiled in appreciation and drank the tea. "Is it good?" 

He nodded. "Please, though, continue." 

"Right." Here comes the bad part. "Well, the theater pays well, but I wasn't getting a lot of shifts back then... and I was running late on rent money. My landlord said it would be fine, and I could just pay it whenever I could afford it. But then I got a huge interest bill from him... and I can't do anything about it." You looked around at the ramen boxes littering your apartment. "This isn't the adventure I wanted at all..." 

"Adventure?" 

"That's why I moved out here. I've always loved adventure stories, and I wanted an adventure of my own. I thought that if I moved to Shibuya, then... but I have no time to explore because I'm always picking up shifts at the theater to pay off my debt." You hadn't wanted to tell him this secret, but after what he'd witnessed, it wasn't exactly fair to keep it from him. At any rate, you were starting to feel that you could trust him, even if it ended up being a foolish decision. 

"Your landlord. What's his name?" 

"H-Huh?" 

"I need his name." 

"For what?" Kurusu didn't reply; only stared at you with determined eyes. You couldn't refuse him anymore. "His name is Shigeru Igarashii..." 

"Shigeru Igarashii... right. I'll remember that." Kurusu looked at the ramen boxes. "Have you had dinner yet?" 

"N-No, but I'm fine, I still have food..." Ramen wasn't exactly healthy, but it was enough for you. Judging by the look on his face, it wasn't enough for him, but he didn't say anything about it. 

"I suppose I shouldn't overstay my welcome." Before you could tell him that was impossible, he stood and made his way to the entrance. "Thank you for the tea." 

"N-No, I mean... thank you for listening."

He smiled kindly at you, and then he was gone. _What an evening._ You took a few moments to cook some ramen before unlocking your phone to aimlessly scroll through social media while you ate. The headlines all blared the same thing: "Phantom Thieves take Japan by storm!" "Fans anticipating Phantom Thieves' next move!" "Phantom Thieves planning to take over?!" 

You had mostly avoided the hype surrounding the vigilante group; you were too focused on your financial situation, and it seemed too good to be true, anyway. Now, for some reason, you allowed yourself to fantasize. _The Phantom Thieves of Hearts... can they really change a bad person for the better? Wouldn't that be amazing for the world... I wonder if they take down smaller bad guys, too. In a perfect world, they'd change my landlord's heart..._

_Wait._

* * *


	5. Journey Arcana, Rank 5

Once again, Kurusu ghosted you for a few days. Before you would've been content to battle your growing fondness of him as usual, but now you had a mystery to solve. That single theory laid smoldering in your mind, but you didn't have any proof yet. 

Then, suddenly, you were approached by your landlord. 

He was sobbing like a madman, yet you could tell he was sober. "_-______-san..." He fell to the ground. "I have h-horribly wronged you and the other tenants of this building... I should be ashamed of myself as a landlord...!" 

"W-Whoa, Igarashi-san! Calm down!" 

"I've done a terrible t-thing," he wailed. "I-I'll dissolve all of your interest, so please forgive me...!" 

You were absolutely flabbergasted. "I forgive you, okay? Just get off the ground and I'll pay my rent on time from now on." 

He sniffed, sobbing some more as he picked himself up and drifted to his unit. "Thank y-you... thank you..." 

_If that wasn't the weirdest damn thing I've ever seen in my life..._ More importantly, this meant your suspicion was confirmed. 

You decided to have a little chat with the transfer student. 

* * *

As luck would have it, Kurusu showed up the next day. When he saw you at the ticket booth, he opened his mouth to speak, but you were faster. "Meet me at the entrance," you whispered. He seemed a little taken aback, since this was the first time you'd initiated contact since the day you met, but then he simply grinned and continued on to watch his movie. You'd already gotten the okay from your manager to leave early, so once Kurusu's movie was over, you'd clock out. 

Yet prepared as you were for this encounter, when you saw him approaching from the door, you felt a chill race up your spine. Something about what you learned made him seem more than human; higher and superior to you in a way that you didn't quite understand.

"Hey," he said casually. 

"Hi... um... how about we go to LeBlanc?" 

The walk there was fine enough; once you saw the door your nerves made themselves known again. Kurusu opened the door for you (because of course he would) and you thanked him before entering. Boss caught sight of you immediately. 

"Well, if it isn't ________. You haven't stopped by in a while. And of course, this guy is the one who brings you here. What are the odds?" He grins knowingly, as you imagined he'd come to know what kind of character Kurusu was as well. 

"Sorry about that," you offered, "I got busy with work. But tonight is a night for celebration, so two plates of curry, please!" 

"A celebration, huh? In that case, coming right up, but we're closing afterwards. You can stay longer if need be, though." He smirked at Kurusu. "Just not _too_ late. Make sure you walk her home." Kurusu nodded as Boss got to preparing the curry. 

You sat across from Kurusu at a booth and, after letting the cat out of his bag to accept a bowl of milk from Boss, he immediately questioned you. "What are we celebrating?" he asked innocently. 

"Well, the strangest thing happened," you began. "My landlord came up to me last night and said he'd forgive all my debt! I think he was doing it to the other tenants too, so at least I wasn't being singled out... but now I don't have to work so many shifts! I'll finally have time to explore the city." 

"That's great!" Kurusu enthused. "I'm glad things turned out okay. What do you plan on doing first?" 

You and Kurusu chatted about the possible mysteries of Shibuya until Boss presented you with two plates of his amazing curry. "Here you go. I'm gonna head out, so don't forget to lock up behind me." He'd already grabbed his hat and blazer, and within seconds he was gone. Time to plant the bomb. "You know, Kurusu, I'm really happy that things have gotten better with my rent... but you have to admit, it's kind of strange." 

"What do you mean?" Kurusu took a bite of curry, and the fuse was lit. 

"I mean, a loanshark like him suddenly apologizes and forgives all the debt he created? It just doesn't happen. It's almost like... hs heart was changed." 

_Boom._

Kurusu spluttered immediately, almost spitting out the curry as he turned aside to cough and choke it down. "Sorry! Curry is... really hot... wasn't prepared... aagh..." Kurusu stood up to get a drink of water, downed it in one gulp, and composed himself before returning to the booth. "Anyway... continue." 

"Kurusu, stop playing games. I know your secret." 

"I know, Morgana has always been our secret." The cat picked its head up from the barstool where it laid curled up and meowed. 

"No, that's not- the cat's name is Morgana? How did that happen?" 

Kurusu shrugged. "I didn't pick the name. Only got him a few months ago." 

"Then who- you're changing the subject! Kurusu... I know you're an informant for the Phantom Thieves." Kurusu's jaw dropped in shock, and you smirked in victory. "Ha! I knew it! That's why my landlord suddenly forgave my debt - you told the Phantom Thieves to take his heart!" 

Kurusu stared blankly at you for a few moments before pushing his glasses up with a grimace and tilting his head down so the light of the cafe reflected in his lenses. "You got me... that's my secret." 

"What are they like?" you asked eagerly. "Are they like what the news says? Are they- you're not involved with bad guys, are you?" 

"_______-chan, slow down... look, they're not bad guys. They're just... doing their part to protect Japan, that's all." 

"But... isn't that what the police are for? The justice system is pretty set on establishing them as criminals." 

"Takes one to know one," Kurusu replied with a dark look. "If the justice system was good at its job, the Phantom Thieves wouldn't exist. They deliver justice where the police can't... or won't." 

Learning about the worthlessness of your country's law enforcement wasn't exactly the biggest surprise to come of this revelation, but you'd never seen Kurusu so... _alive_ before. "You're really passionate about their cause, aren't you...?" Kurusu bowed his head, his eyes once again obscured by the light in his glasses. "Well... they helped me out a lot. And if you support them, then so will I." You reached over, about to lay your hand on top of his, but you noticed yourself and instead touched your index finger to his knuckles. It was the first time you'd ever touched him, and it was making your cheeks burn like hell. 

He looked up at you, seemingly nonplussed by the contact, but instead smiled. "Thank you, ________-chan." 

"Of course. Um... you can call me by my first name, by the way." 

"Is that so? Alright... but that means you can use mine, too. _And_ I expect to go along for your adventures." 

"Really? You'd be interested in something like that?" 

"Of course I would. I'm somewhat of an adventurous spirit myself, I suppose." 

You smiled brightly, happy to have something so dear to you in common with your friend. "I'd be happy to take you along then." 

Kurusu smiled back. "It's a deal, then, but for now I should probably take you home." 

"I can go by myself..." 

Kurusu shook his head. "I know you can, but Sojiro would kill me if he knew you went home alone. I'll wash up the plates when I get back, so don't worry about it." 

"Okay..." 

You walked the few minutes to your apartment in silence, side by side. But suddenly, you... _noticed_ him. Noticed how his hands were always in his pockets. Noticed how his curls bounced in front of his glasses when he walked. Noticed how he always stared straight forward, his eyes gleaming with confidence. Next to him, you felt more secure than ever. 

All too soon, you reached your complex. You didn't want him to go. "A... Akira-kun?" He turned to look at you, eyebrows raised in inquiry. "I... guess I should thank you for talking to the Phantom Thieves... since it really helped me out a lot." 

Akira smiled and simply placed his hand on your head. "I couldn't leave you alone," he said softly. You blushed, but didn't look away. His palm gently touching your hair felt too good for you to notice anything else. Even though you wished time could have stopped, he pulled away and, with a casual wave, was gone. 

You didn't walk to your apartment, you _floated._ And when you nestled into your futon, you decided enough was enough and that you wouldn't fight your feelings anymore. Instead, you drifted off to sleep desperately recalling the gentle way he touched you. 

* * *


	6. Journey Arcana, Rank 6

You decided to start exploring as soon as you had free time, but fate would not be kind to you, so it rained. You'd always hated rain; it made everything cold and musty and noisy. Staring out staring window in dismay during class, you decided to go to the library at your school after class to see if you could find some books or magazines on Shibuya. Not ideal, but still productive, so you made your way there once the bell rang. However, while looking through the shelves for your sources, you accidentally came across the adventure fiction genre. Many of your past and current favorites stood out amongst the crowd; stories you treasured like an old friend that you hadn't seen in a while.

_It_ has _been a while since I read one of these,_ you thought. _Just a couple chapters wouldn't hurt, right...?_

Before you knew it, you were diving down the rabbit hole of a classic novel. Your nose was so deep in its pages that you almost didn't notice a familiar face staring at you. Your eyes glanced upwards and noticed Akira sitting across from you, watching you with his chin in his hand. You nearly jumped out of your seat with surprise, garnering more than a number of stares, before shyly regaining your composure. "Akira!" you hissed. "What are you doing here?"

"Studying," he whispered. "Rainy days are always good for that. But I could ask you the same thing; why aren't you in Shibuya?"

You quietly scoffed. "Rain does not a fun adventure make. I figured it would be better to get some information on the city rather than just go home..."

"From... _The Count of Monte Cristo_?" he asked, reading the title off of the book's cover.

You snapped the book shut and hid it under the desk, but then you allowed your shoulders to slump. "I know, I got distracted..."

"Don't worry about it. What's it about?"

You watched him for a moment, waiting for him to change the subject, but he didn't. So you slowly brought the book back out and begin to quietly explain. "It's about a man who is imprisoned for treason on his wedding day, even though he's innocent... he eventually escapes, finds a grand treasure, and uses his new riches to get revenge on the man that reported him. It's pretty old, but..."

"Hm. Maybe I should check that out next," Akira mused. "I've already read what I usually would."

"Which is...?"

He smiled. "Books about thieves. I suppose they're not unlike adventure novels. Fighting against the system, defining justice for yourself, saving the day from the shadows..." Akira's gaze has gone somewhere beyond you, somewhere that you can't see. "What a life that would be," he breathed.

"I guess that's why you like the Phantom Thieves, huh?"

He smiled again, but he seemed to hear something that stopped him from answering. After listening, you heard it too. Whispers of gossip and the rumors surrounding him.

"Isn't that the delinquent kid? What's he doing here?"

"I heard he pulled a knife on an old couple..."

"What about the girl he's with? Is she in danger?"

"She probably likes it like that, the little whore..."

Akira's expression darkened at that last comment. "Bastards..."

"I-It's fine, I don't really mind..." But your heart stung from the foul words you'd overheard. How many people would that statement get around to? How many people would believe it?

Akira noticed the crease of worry between your brows. "Want me to say something?"

"No, no, I don't want them to spread more rumors about you..."

Akira watched you for a moment, then leaned in. "Wanna know my secret for it, then?"

"What is it...?" Your heart began pounding from being so near him.

"Guts," he said with a grin. "Don't let their words stop you from living your life." He leaned back in his chair. "Truth be told, I was pretty worried about it myself the first time I came to the library. But then I discovered that studying here anyway actually made me braver, and over time I just stopped caring." He raised one finger as he gave you a mischievous look. "Once you stop caring what they think, you're invincible."

"Hm... you strike me as the kind of guy who's always been invincible."

He chuckled quietly. "I wish." His gaze grew serious again. "Do you believe the rumors?"

"O-Of course I don't!" you said a little too loudly. You smiled apologetically at the offended students and lowered your voice. "No, I don't... well, maybe I did at first... but now I know what kind of guy you are, Akira-kun... there's no way any of that stuff is true."

He smiled again. "Good girl. Let's get out of here and I'll tell you what actually happened." He stood and held his hand out to receive yours. Shyly, your heart pounding out of your chest, you took his hand and let him lead you away.

* * *

Students were still using the classrooms for clubs, so you'd settled for a storage closet. It wasn't very comfortable, but it was private and closed off from the rest of the world. Just being with Akira made the cold light and the fraying cardboard boxes intimate. Then he told you everything. 

"Akira... that's horrible." After all that, he still has to deal with this gossip? "Its not fair... something needs to be done about the rumors!!" 

"What could we do? People talk," he said with a shrug. "I've stopped caring. After all..." he suddenly stepped close to you. "I have much more important things to worry about." 

Your face flushed red. "L-Like...?" 

"Getting you your adventure," he said with a grin. "I have a magazine on Shibuya. I'll lend it to you." He reached behind him, and Morgana - the cat! - picked the magazine out of his bag and gave it to him. 

"Y-You bring him to school too?!" 

"The cat goes everywhere with me," he said casually. "Here." He held out the magazine for you, and you shyly took it. "Let's call it a day, then. I'll leave first; if you wait a few minutes, we won't be seen together." 

"No!" you cried out. You didn't want to part yet. "Um... I'm gonna walk you home, actually." 

"Oh?" Akira cocked his eyebrow and grinned. "You're _going_ to?" 

"Y-Yes... as thanks for the magazine." 

How noble," he joked. "Let's go, then." 

You walked home mostly in silence, but you relished every second of it.

* * *


	7. Journey Arcana, Intermission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! sorry for the unannounced hiatus, my life kinda exploded lol. here's an extra chapter for your patience! and thanks for all the nice comments by the way! they help motivate me to write :D

"Wait, you don't have my number yet?"

A movie at the Yongen-Jaya theater had just ended, and you had gotten roped into watching it with Akira once again. He'd asked for your thoughts on the movie, but you had no time to discuss it in length, which is when he told you to call him later about it. Regretfully, you didn't have his number, and then... "Here, turn your infrared on so we can trade information."

"Um... okay..." You set up your phone's infrared and held it up, waiting for the data exchange to complete.

"Why so shy?" Akira said with an easy grin as your phones beeped in confirmation. "We're friends, after all. We should be able to contact each other."

"I guess that's true," you replied, smiling sheepishly. "Alright, I really have to start cleaning this theater now; you should get home."

"Fine, fine," Akira surrendered. As he walked away, he called behind him, "Don't forget to contact me later!" You simply rolled your eyes and moved to get your cleaning supplies.

However, you did forget; at least until late that night when an ad on your phone caught your eye. It was for a nearby zoo, announcing that tickets tomorrow would be half off. Your eyes sparkled at the prospect of seeing dozens of different kinds of animals in one day (they'd always been your second love after adventure novels). You were happy to plan an outing until you realized what was missing: a friend to go with. Shrugging to yourself, you pulled up Akira's contact information on your phone and found yourself at an impasse. You couldn't bring yourself to press call. You rolled onto your back and stared up at your phone, your thumb hovering over the button. _It's not like I have any other friends to go with,_ you reasoned. With that, powered by sheer impulse, you pressed the button so hard that you dropped your phone onto your face.

"Ow!"

It was ringing. You scrambled to bring your phone to your ear, rubbing at your aching nose. When he picked up, your heart fluttered in anticipation.

"Hello?"

_God._

His voice was low and gravelly as his throat attempted to recalibrate. It sent shivers up your spine, and you could swear you felt his breath on your cheek... wait, had he been asleep?

"Ah- hi! Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you; I didn't know you were already asleep..."

"Morgana gets cranky if I stay up too late," he explained with a twinge of annoyance.

"The... cat? He gets angry if you stay up?"

"Yeah, he... meows really loudly..."

That damn cat was an enigma. You'd never figure out why Akira bothered bringing him along everywhere. "Er, anyway... as it turns out, there's a zoo nearby! They're selling tickets at half price tomorrow, and I was wondering... would you like to go with me?"

"A zoo... I didn't know there was one close to us. Alright, sounds fun."

"You'll go? That's great! Um, we can get there by train, so I'll meet you at the gate around noon tomorrow... is that okay?"

"You got it."

"Great, thanks! Well... bye, then!"

"Goodnight." He hung up, and you promptly rolled onto your stomach to roar into your pillow.

* * *

It's not a date. 

You'd been telling yourself that all morning. It's not a date; you just hadn't worn cute clothes in a while. It's not a date; your mother was just always telling you to do something nice with your hair. It's not a date; you just happened to have some mascara and lip gloss lying around. It's not a date; Akira just looks really cute walking up to you, smiling his special smile and casually waving. "Hey."

"Hey!" You opened your mouth, and then bit your tongue. _It's not a date._ "Ready to go in?" 

"Yep. I can cover your ticket, by the way." 

"What?" Now _that_ might make it a date. "No, no, I can't let you do that!" 

"Hey, I may be a delinquent, but I'm a gentleman delinquent. The lady need not pay." 

"But..." 

He placed a hand on your head. "You can return the favor by making a healthy meal for yourself tonight. Okay? No cup noodles." 

You blushed as he withdrew his hand. "Okay... it's a deal, then."

He grinned and led you to the ticket booth. "A deal, is it? Deals are dangerous." 

"Haha... I have no idea what you're talking about." Akira burst out laughing and said no more on the subject. 

The two of you enjoyed the zoo for a while, Akira easily leading you through the engorged crowds and studying the trivia available about each animal with you. A lot of it you knew already from childhood zoo-going experiences, but you quietly loved seeing him absorb the information in his own quirky way. Finally, all hell broke loose as you came upon the crown jewels of the zoo. You gasped and shouted, "RED PANDA!!" before rushing off without Akira. Your determination helped you weave through the crowd without much struggle, and soon you were right up against the face, staring at the most adorable creature in the world. "Look at his wittle mutton chops!" you sighed in happiness. 

Akira finally caught up to you, placing his hand on your shoulder. "Geez, you had me pretty worried... don't run off like that again, okay?" 

"But... but look at him!" you protested. "What a sweet face!" Akira looked up, and the red panda locked eyes with him for a solid ten seconds before he returned to his lunch. 

"I didn't realize you liked red pandas so much, but I guess I can see why," Akira conceded. 

You laughed a little bit, contentedly watching the creature nibble away. "Well, I like all animals in general, but this one is definitely my favorite. They're bears, but they look like raccoons, and they defend like skunks... and they're so cute! What amazing creatures... nature itself is kind of an adventure, don't you think?" You looked over at Akira and noticed him smiling at you with glassy eyes. "O-Oh, sorry! I rambled a bit..." 

Akira reached over to you, his knuckles brushing against your palm. "I liked it." Your face burned a shade similar to the red panda's fur. 

Before long, you'd finished touring the zoo. "How was it?" you asked eagerly. 

"It was fun; I learned a lot and it's not very far. I might have to take some of my other friends here sometime." 

"Your other friends...?" 

"Oh, I'm sure you've seen them around. Sakamoto, Takamaki, Niijima... a few others." 

You smiled. "You say you're a delinquent, but you're actually pretty popular, huh?" 

"No way," he argued with a grin,"I just have charm. The student body still thinks I'm dangerous." 

You frowned. "That just... couldn't be farther from the truth." 

"Is that so?" He leaned in close with a sly smile. "You don't think I'm dangerous at all...?" 

You were lost in his eyes for a moment, but refused to let him win. "I don't think a guy who lets his cat dictate his sleep schedule can be even remotely dangerous." 

Akira deadpanned. "... Well, yeah. You got me there." 

You burst out laughing as his cool facade shattered to reveal the dork he was underneath. "You should be more honest!" you exclaimed while clutching your stomach. 

"I am being honest, I swear! Never judge a book by his cover," Akira retorted. "Anyway, I should get going. I'll see you around, alright?" 

"Yeah, see you around." You waved goodbye and he was gone. Your cheeks hurt from laughing, but you weren't about to stop smiling now. Happy as you were, you couldn't help but wonder what Akira had meant by that out-of-place warning.


	8. Journey Arcana, Rank 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> proper chapter now! there will probably be one more intermission chapter right before rank 9 or 10.  
> if this chapter looks different to you, then it is. i took out a lot of akira's dialogue because silent protagonists should be silent.

Today was the day. Today, you would march into Shibuya and uncover its secrets. You'd leave no stone unturned, no alley unexplored, and you'd do it alone.

At least, that's what you thought until _he_ showed up at the train station. "What are you doing here? you asked.

He only shrugged. "Errands. Nothing bad." He gave you a sarcastic grin.

You peeked around his shoulder. "It might be, if you have that cat with you..."

Akira laughed. "Can't help it," he said. "Gotta bring him everywhere."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just... leave him at home?" You figured the movie theater wasn't the only place he'd had trouble; how he managed to smuggle the cat in and out of school alone fascinated you.

But he shrugged again, dodging your question. "Gonna explore Shibuya?"

"Yeah! I'm really looking forward to it."

He stepped in close to you. "You promised to bring me with you."

Shit. You were hoping he'd forgotten. You'd realized that you'd never be able to focus on the task at hand if he came along. He would toy with you and you would eat it up, not that you'd ever admit that to _him_. "Don't you have other things to do?"

"I'll be your sidekick," he persuaded with a dorky smile. "And Morgana will be the mascot." The cat gave a muffled mew from his bag, as if in protest or agreement. But of course it was only coincidence, since cats don't understand human speech.

Your head was telling you to get on the train without him. However, you loved when Akira showed the side of him that didn't scream Casanova. It was the side he didn't show anyone else, and it made you feel special. He knew that and used it to his advantage, of course, because you would always fall for it. Your head was a whisper compared to the pleas of your heart. "Alright, fine, you can tag along."

Akira smiled as the train to Shibuya pulled into the station. As you stepped inside, he leaned down to whisper in your ear. "I lied about those errands, by the way."

"Wha- you...!" Akira laughed quietly, for he knew you would never dare to yell at him inside a crowded train, which is why he'd waited until that exact moment to reveal the truth. He was sneaky, yet dorky, yet suave. It was a tango of conflicting personas, and it kept you dizzy, but you were never bored. And that - the sheer excitement of what it meant to be near him - that was already turning out to be quite the adventure.

* * *

The two of you had a great time in Shibuya; you talked to every shop owner, explored every crevice, and even learned about some darker goings-on from Akira; a shop owner who dealt illegal items to support his son, an assassin masquerading as an innocent civilian before having a mysterious change of heart. Of course, Akira wouldn't give you specific details about either of them. "It's safe now; no use trampling on a grave," he'd said to your frustration. As it turned out, pretty much all of Shibuya was safe. The Phantom Thieves were effective in their work, and that's when it clicked. You hadn't found any leads for an adventure in Shibuya, because the Phantom Thieves were already on that adventure, and you never would be. In one afternoon, your dreams had been crushed. As dusk fell on the city, you stopped inside an already-scoured alleyway and sank to the ground. Akira sat next to you, leaving his bag next to him. "Are you okay?" 

"No, I'm not okay," you said through tears that threatened to escape. "I battled my parents for so long to move here, and I worked at that job for so long... and there's nothing here. No adventure to be had. I-I mean, I knew..." You stopped to clear the breath that'd caught in your throat and scrub your eyes. "I knew already... it wouldn't be anything like in the novels... they're just _fiction_ , and from a time that doesn't exist anymore... I-I thought if I went somewhere more modern, I could find something new... but there's n-nothing." You couldn't blame the Phantom Thieves. They were doing an excellent job of maintaining the city; a better job than you alone ever could have done. You wouldn't dare trade the salvation of innocents for your own satisfaction, but that didn't mean you weren't still suffering. 

Akira took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. You thought he'd get tired of you and leave, but instead everything suddenly went dark. Akira had covered you with his blazer, and now draped his arm around your shoulders. He said nothing, but his actions spoke volumes. You had been given permission to show weakness, and it scared you how much you wanted it; how much you _needed_ it. You had tried so hard never to cry, even when your landlord was terrorizing you. But his arm was strong, his body was warm, and his blazer smelled like your favorite coffee. In this city that had absolutely nothing for you, because you weren't special, you felt safe. Because you had Akira instead, and Akira made you feel special. So you finally let loose. You leaned into his chest as yours heaved from quiet sobs, and you wallowed in self pity. It was the weakest thing you could've done, but it felt so good to finally get all of the turmoil of the past year out. 

You cried for what felt like an eternity, but it was only a few minutes. Akira never disturbed you, even when you just laid your head on his shoulder for a minute of quiet contemplation. Then you pulled his blazer off of your head and returned it to him. "Thank you." 

Akira did not respond, he only put his blazer back on. To him, the moment was already dead, and you appreciated that. He looked into your eyes and smiled kindly. "Time to find a new adventure." 

"A new- are you serious? Come on, I just spent the last few minutes accepting that there's nothing." 

"And I spent those minutes looking up up and away." He pulled you close to him so your heads were next to each other (yet you were still too upset to notice the intimate proximity) and pointed at the wall. "What do you see?" 

You stared up at the building. It wasn't irregular; it had windows and awnings to fill the empty space. The rooftop was flat, as was the case with most city buildings. And that was it; it was just another city building. "I don't see anything" you scoffed. 

"I see... a path." 

"A path?" You looked up again. With that word, the wall had changed. You now realized each window had a sill that could hold a hand or a foot. 

"Akira-kun, what are you talking about? That would be impossible for me to climb." 

"Have you heard of parkour?" 

"Um... in passing, I guess." Occasionally, videos of people effortlessly scaling buildings and flipping off of stairways went viral on the internet, and you'd heard the phrase 'hardcore parkour' in its time of fleeting popularity. But you still didn't understand - oh. "You want _me_ to learn parkour?" 

"Think about it," he prompted. "The sights, the thrills... all unique to you. A real adventure." 

Adventure. You considered the possibility. There wasn't a clear end, at least not one with any heroism in sight. But it would be a thrilling and difficult pursuit. And he was right; who else would get an experience like that? It could easily be yours. "An adventure like that," you mused, "would definitely be enthralling, wouldn't it..." 

Akira smiled. "I'll help you," he offered. 

You whipped around. "How do _you_ know parkour? I thought you weren't actually a delinquent." 

"There's still a lot of things you don't know about me," he replied smoothly as he stood, slinging his bag back over his shoulder. "It's late. I'll walk you home." He held out his hand, and without a word, you took it. The city glowed golden with the setting sun, and as the sky turned red, you hoped it blended out the redness in your cheeks. 

* * *

You were tired. Akira was practically dragging you by the hand as you walked the streets of Yongen-Jaya. You'd walked around for hours, and then you'd cried your heart out. Your energy was more than spent, which is why Akira insisted on seeing you to your room. You were too tired to argue. Once you got inside, you laid down on the floor. "You okay?" Akira asked flatly. 

"Yeah," you groaned. "I'm just gonna make dinner and go to bed." 

"I can do it." His grin radiated with confidence. 

"No way, it's already late. You're always busy. Go enjoy your evening." You dragged yourself upright to prove to him that you'd be fine, but he gave you an unimpressed look in response. You had a feeling you knew why. You rolled your eyes and opened your refrigerator. "Look. Stocked with healthy food. I'll eat well tonight and I'll have my energy back by tomorrow, okay?" 

Akira finally smiled in approval. "Text me tomorrow." 

"Yeah yeah, got it... Goodnight, Akira." He waved and disappeared. You wanted so badly to make ramen and be done with it, but you'd made a promise to Akira. So you made yourself a more balanced dinner and then collapsed into your futon. You were too tired to analyse all that had happened that day, but the next morning when you woke up and realized that Akira had held you while you cried and then walked you home, even to the extent of making sure you'd take care of yourself. Your face became so hot you could probably cook a LeBlanc curry on your cheeks. 

* * *


	9. Journey Arcana, Rank 8

Akira texted you a few days after your outing in Shibuya, during class of all times. _Of course the delinquent would use his phone during school,_ you thought. You immediately felt guilty, since you'd learned he wasn't like that at all. Besides, you were checking the texts in class. " _Meet me in the alleyway late tonight," it read._

_You raised an eyebrow as you texted back. "Why?"_

_"You wanna be chased by the cops?"_

_You shivered with surprise. "The police?! Why would they chase us?"_

_"Scaling buildings and jumping rooftops isn't exactly legal."_

_Suddenly you were having second thoughts. Akira seemed to be getting a little _too_ used to his reputation. But didn't your favorite adventurers always break the rules? And if Akira says it's safer at night... "Okay, if you say so..." You didn't hear back from him. You hoped he hadn't been caught by his teacher. You quickly put your phone away before you could be caught as well. _

_When you arrived in the alley, Akira was already waiting for you. He grinned. "Ready?"_

_"As I'll ever be," you joked. But despite your fear, you really were excited. You'd been hyping it up in your mind and practicing jumping on the steps to your apartment. You were eager to have Akira teach you the real thing, even if the police caught you. You had a feeling Akira wouldn't let them get to you._

__

"Payment first."

"P-Payment?! You never said anything about that?"

He tilted his head, letting the moonlight fill his glasses. "You expected free lessons?"

"I..." You had, but now it sounded silly. You'd assumed it would be a favor. Of course Akira would charge..."

"Hmm... I'll call it even... if you call me sensei."

Now you were even more flustered, and he was eating it up. He was making a fool of you; that smug grin gave it all away. Well, you wouldn't give him that satisfaction. You marched straight up to him and put on your best _moe_ face. "Oh sensei, won't you please teach your loyal student~?" Akira flushed as sweat dripped down his forehead, cuing your own smirk. "That's what you get for playing with me."

Akira rolled his eyes. "Lesson learned. I'll call it even."

"Great! So where do we begin?"

Akira's brow creased. He looked up at the tall buildings surrounding you, scanning them for viable ledges. "Uh... I'm not sure..."

"Not sure of what?" He muttered under his breath, but you caught "different in the other world." Other world...?

Oh.

"You _liar!"_ you shouted. "I've figured it out now! I can't believe you would keep this from me!!" Akira was sweating bullets now, and he wouldn't turn to look at you. So you stood in front of him and laid out his dirty laundry. "You lied about knowing parkour! You've only ever dreamt about it! What kind of idiot thinks dreams translate into real life?!"

Akira stared down at you in bewilderment, then slumped. "I apologize," he said quietly.

"You damn well better! Ugh, this means I have to teach myself now..." You began pacing back and forth. "I'll have to find a guidebook," you mused.

"I don't think you'll find any books on parkour."

"Thanks, jerk, super helpful. It's not like I exactly have a computer to search this on, just my phone..."

Akira's glasses flashed as he stood a little straighter. "I have a laptop at LeBlanc. You can use that."

"You have a laptop?! How did you afford one?"

"It's used. Got it cheap," he explained.

"Oh... in that case, if you let me use it, I'll forgive you for lying."

Akira rolled his eyes with a grin and turned to the train station. "Let's go."

* * *

Akira opened LeBlanc's door to see Sakura cleaning up for the day. "Oh, you're back," he said dismissively. Then he noticed you behind him. "You're here too? Did this guy rope you into anything shady?" 

You laughed. "No, the shady business is of my own accord, Boss." 

"I'm gonna take that as a joke," he said with a warning glance towards Akira. "Don't forget, do anything stupid and you're outta here. Be careful with this young lady." He sends a grin your way, then grabs a blazer and hat. "I'm heading out for tonight. I know it's a weekend, but don't let her stay too late, and make sure you walk her home. Lock up once you leave." 

Akira nodded to confirm, and then Sakura left. "It's upstairs," he said nonchalantly. 

"Upstairs?" 

"In my room." 

"W-Wait!" You stopped dead in your tracks. "I can't just walk into a guy's room alone!" 

"You're not alone. I'm here." 

"That's almost worse!" you insisted. 

Akira gave you a bored look. "I'll bring it down here," he conceded. You sighed with relief as Akira went up to his room and returned with a banged-up laptop. You eyed it with suspicion. "Trust me, it works well. I'll set it up." He set it down on the booth table and, after closing a site he had up (you didn't get a chance to see it) and opening the search engine, turned it your way. "Have at it," he invited. 

"Thank you." As you began to search up guides to parkour, Akira took out his books and began to study. _I guess he has to study to maintain those high scores,_ you thought as you remembered seeing his name among the top ten for the last round of mock exams. "Hey, do you mind if I login to my email and send these articles to myself? I'll log out afterwards." 

"Go ahead." He'd become completely absorbed in his studying. His hair was falling into his eyes. His cuteness was distracting you, so you focused on the laptop and began compiling a list of links. 

After an hour, you'd built a workout regimen and a couple of goals to complete after a month of training. "Done!" you announced as you stretched. 

"Congratulations. I got to study a lot, too. I feel smarter." Akira smiled then packed his textbooks away. "It's late. I'll take you home." 

"You really don't..." you paused to yawn. "... have to do that." 

He rolled his eyes again. "Let's go." He stuck out his elbow and, suddenly too tired to recognize the gesture, you held onto it and allowed him to take you home. You got to your door, then realized you couldn't see the lock. Your vision was bleary from staring at a screen. Akira seemed to sense your trouble. "I got it." He took the key from your hand and unlocked the apartment. You walked in, but your tired eyes couldn't adjust to the dark. 

"My pajamas..." 

Akira looked up at you. "Where do you keep them?" 

"The dresser by my futon, bottom drawer..." An Akira-like figure went to the dresser and pulled out a set of fuzzy pajamas. 

"Can you find the bathroom?" 

"... um..." 

Taking your hesitation as a negative, he worldlessly took your elbow and led you to the bathroom. "I'll help you find your futon when you're done." 

"Thanks..." It took you a minute or two, but you managed to get into your pajamas and wash up enough to go to sleep. You fumbled for the door handle and left the bathroom. Akira quickly helped you into your futon. 

"I'll lock up and put your key under the welcome mat. Check your texts if you forget." "Thanks, Akira-kun... helping me so much without even being asked... sorry for causing trouble..." 

Akira grinned impishly and, knowing he could get away with it, gently touched his lips to your forehead. "It's never trouble." And so he vanished into the night, leaving you to blush madly in the dark. It wasn't even really a kiss, barely even a touch. But your heart now pounded way too heavily for you to sleep. When you did eventually slumber, you dreamed of going further.


	10. Journey Arcana, Intermission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god i hit post too early. shit shit shit. i really hope none of you saw that. wait, stuff is supposed to go down in rank 9? wheeze- thank god for these intermissions

After a hard day of working out to improve your agility, you finally forced yourself to stop. You wanted to keep working at it, but you were spent, and pretty soon you'd injure yourself. A part of you argued that you could handle pain, which is why you had to force yourself to stop. To cool off, you began walking from your apartment to LeBlanc for... coffee? Water? A chance to see Akira? No, definitely not that. You were on the brink of a threshold that you weren't quite ready to reach with that guy. Nevertheless, as you approached the door, what else would appear but a mop of curly black hair stacked on top of large glasses. He turned to see you, and his glasses reflected the light from the shop. "Oh, _______-chan. You're here."

You smiled, despite feeling your heart rate go back up after finally getting it down. "Oh, well, I just finished working out and needed a bite to eat."

Akira looked you up and down, as if finally taking note of your athletic wear. "You were working out?"

"It's not like I'm just going to be an expert at parkour overnight," you said wearily. "These sorts of things take time and dedication."

"Huh. Guess I'm different," he said with a grin.

You rolled your eyes. "In your dreams. _Literally,_ apparently. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to enter the cafe. You're blocking the door."

"Let me take you somewhere better," he offered with a smile.

"Somewhere better, huh?" You eyed him suspiciously. After last time, you weren't sure how well you trusted any claims he made. "How far is it?"

"Shibuya," he shrugged. "We can study the skyline while we eat. That's your goal," he reasoned.

You really wanted to tell him no, _just once_. But his smile was so easygoing and warm, and you couldn't really see his eyes but you desperately wanted to... so you caved. "Fine, let's go to this mysteriously 'better than LeBlanc' restaurant."

"Shhh!" He quickly led you away from the cafe to the station. "Don't tell Boss," he said with the first hint of fear you'd ever felt from him.

* * *

You studied the sign for the restaurant Akira had in mind, incredulous that he would bring a girl here. "A... a _beef bowl shop_?" 

Akira looked back at you innocently. "What? It's protein. Good for workouts." And he casually walked into the shop. 

You tiredly stared after him. "This guy..." he'd dragged you all the way to Shibuya for a beef bowl. "Well, at least it isn't Big Bang Burger." You wearily eyed the fast-food chain just down the street. You'd heard of that debacle about its CEO, and even if you hadn't, you still remembered the one time you _did_ pop in only to watch someone vomit on the floor after attempting one of their challenges. Shuddering with the memory, you walked into the beef bowl shop after Akira, who was waiting to be seated. Just as you thought, the entire joint was filled with men. Some of the younger ones noticed you and stared, others saw Akira with you and looked away. Despite knowing that these kinds of restaurants weren't actually shady, you couldn't help but be aware of your athletic attire and your femininity. Akira, being Akira, noticed nothing and let the hostess seat the both of you. You studied the menu. "It definitely costs more than LeBLanc..." 

"My treat," Akira dismissed. "Order anything." 

"Anything? Some of this stuff is really expensive, though! I don't want to burn your wallet." 

"You won't," he reassured you, yet you were even more concerned. How exactly did a high-schooler make this much money? But, regardless, you had definitely worked up an appetite, so you ordered a basic entree. 

You chatted aimlessly with Akira as you waited for your food, until a middle-aged man sat next to Akira. "Kurusu-san, is that you?" You both turned to properly look at him, and he smiled warmly. "So it is, I see. And is that a lovely young woman with you?" 

Akira turned to you to make introductions, and possibly to dissipate the awkward aura. "This is Yoshida Toranosuke. He's a politician." 

_Oh, so Akira knows him._ You were never really one for politics, but you smiled politely and gave him your own name. "It's very nice to meet you, Toranosuke-san." 

"Is it? Haha, that's great to hear." He clapped a hand on Akira's back. "This is one fine young man you're dealing with, here. He's helped me and my campaign more than words can say." 

"Really? I didn't know you were into politics, Akira-kun." 

He shrugged, somewhat sheepishly. "It's... mutually beneficial." 

That made Toranosuke laugh. "Yeah, this poor kid still can't vote, but he's got a good head on his shoulders. I know he'll treat you well. Just be careful he doesn't steal your heart," he said with a wink. 

Akira began to sweat. "That's unnecessary," he said through gritted teeth. 

"I'm only joking," Toranosuke said with another laugh. At that point, your food arrived. "Well, I'll let you get on with your meal. I should start thinking about mine as well. Young lady, if you ever want to make a change in this country, come listen to my speeches in the station square." 

"I will, thank you." It was only a white lie; if you ever got into politics, you would consider it. If. In the meantime, _holy hell this is the most amazing dinner you've ever had you were absolutely famished._

* * *

As usual, Akira had insisted on walking you home. "Thank you for this evening," you said once you'd arrived. "I can handle it from here." 

Akira grinned. "Or I can help you a third time." 

"Nope, totally fine. Go home." 

He laughed. "If you say so." He began to turn to leave. 

"Wait!" He turned to look back at you. "Um..." Crap. You just didn't want him to leave. "Uh... I've been... I've been working really hard! So... next time we meet, let's have a contest! A test of agility. If I win, you have to answer my question honestly!" 

"Question?" he prompted cautiously. "What kind?" 

"Obviously there's no point telling you until I win." 

He grinned. "High stakes. I like it." He leaned in close to you. "If I win?" 

"Oh, right... uh..." You averted your eyes. You hadn't thought that far, and with him so close, you couldn't think of an answer now. 

He stared at you, then chuckled. "I'll decide later. Goodnight." He turned to leave, and you could only watch him fade into the darkness. It seemed like he always existed in the shadows; in a place just out of reach. You were sick of it. You now knew Akira was hiding something from you from the start. Something big. 

Next time, you would force Akira to put all the cards on the table, no matter what.


	11. Journey Arcana, Rank 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if this chapter looks different to you, it's because it is! i made some changes so that the timeline of events would cohere to the game's confidant rank timeline better. i hope this makes up for the confusion >:3

It was Toranosuke who finally forced you to connect the dots about Akira's occupation. It was so obvious you wanted to smack yourself for being so oblivious. An _informant_ for the Phantom Thieves?! What kind of dunce would come to _that_ conclusion first? But it made sense. He was sly and snuck around your emotions. He'd claimed to have some proficiency in parkour; perhaps he did as a Phantom Thief. You still weren't sure what he'd meant by "other world," but you still had no idea how he changed people's hearts. On that note, your _landlord. Wow._ Obviously the Phantom Thieves were involved, but they regularly took on some of Japan's worst; why would they concern themselves with the landlord of a crumbling complex? Because you'd cried in front of one of them about it? Why would they care? 

Why would _he_ care? 

And that's where the anger set in. Did he care at all? You'd revealed so many of your secrets to him; did he not trust you with his? But would you have told him yours if he hadn't witnessed your landlord berating you? Your mind was going in circles and it only exacerbated your frustration. 

_Just be careful he doesn't steal your heart._

Toranosuke knew that Akira was a phantom thief. He'd trusted a politician with his secret. And yet he'd let you make a fool of yourself trying to figure it out. Had he stolen your heart? He made you feel things you'd never felt, but your anger was too strong to feel any of it now. That was why you needed this contest. You needed not only to confront him, you needed him cornered. 

It took you a day to come up with challenges. You wanted to give Akira a chance so it would be fair, but you couldn't go too easy on him either. Otherwise you'd never be able to show him how much you'd improved. Granted, your results weren't much, but you'd become a bit more athletic than the average high schooler. So when you did come up with challenges, you spent another day training as hard as you could in preparation. Perhaps it wouldn't be so fair now, but you weren't about to balance it again. It was time to call him out.

Your first text was brief. _You ready?_

Akira's response was also brief. Typical. _We doing this?_

_Yes. Meet me at the station square in Shibuya._

_I've already decided on my reward._

_Ha! As if you'll stand a chance! You won't be so cocky by the time we're done._

_On my way to Shibuya. See ya._

Of course you knew taunting him wouldn't shake his nigh invincible composure. But you'd done it anyway; it gave you an extra boost of confidence, and you were going to need it today. To warm up, and also so you wouldn't end up on the same train as Akira, you jogged to the station.

* * *

You arrived at the station square a few minutes before Akira. You were warmed up, pumped up, and more than eager to start the match. "You ready for this?" 

Akira grinned as he set his bag down, Morgana hopping out and watching you. "How's this gonna go?" 

You plotted our your course. "First a race through the backstreets to Shibuya theater and back here. Then we'll jump the stairs and see how many steps we can skip. Finally, we'll race to climb the wall behind the stores. Clear?" 

"Crystal." 

You grinned. "Then let the games begin." 

You had a passerby call the race for you. You noticed that Akira's stride surged and slowed him down, while your pace was faster and more consistent. He was gaining on you, but you'd get to the finish line before he could catch up The first challenge would be in the bag. You'd never noticed how fluffy his hair looked in the wind... and then you stumbled. It was just a small trip, but it gave Akira the lead, and that was enough to secure his victory. Panting and leaning on your knees, you stared at the ground in defeat. "Where... did you get so _fast_?" 

"Ryuji was on track," he answered between gasps. "We train sometimes." 

_That's cheating!_ you thought angrily. But, no matter. Your confidence was only slightly damaged. The next challenge would be an easy feat for you, as you'd been practicing your jumping more than anything else. 

Or... not. As you approached the selected staircase, you noticed how long Akira's legs were. You were staring, but then you realized what that meant. Sure enough, even without the the training you'd had, he was able to clear an average of three steps. Powered by determination and spite, you were able to match that average. A draw wasn't ideal, but it was better than losing. 

Finally, it was time for the wall climb. The wall was about twice your height, but Akira was taller. Your confidence, unfortunately, was shot. You were beginning to lose hope of winning, but after the climb began, you realized something. 

Akira didn't know how to grip the wall. 

His fingers easily slipped off of the stones as they attempted to curl into the material. Perhaps he was more used to climbing ledges than flat walls. But you'd done your research and you knew what to do. You struggled to clear the wall, but Akira could barely get off the ground. You lifted yourself up and sat on the top, pumping your fist into the air. "Victory!!" 

"Congrats," Akira said breathlessly. He jumped a small distance off the wall and looked up at you with a grin. "That's a tie." 

You wouldn't be taken off your high so easily. "I'll come up with another contest," you shrugged. "How about-" 

"How about this," Akira interrupted as he held his arms out. "Courage test. You jump down and let me catch you, you win. Get down by yourself, I win." 

"Wha- that makes no sense!" 

"You need courage for parkour. Will you forfeit?" 

In regular parkour, no one would be there to catch you. You knew that and had already practiced accordingly. Akira probably knew that too; he knew it would take more courage to fall into his arms than to jump down on your own. You were perfectly capable of both. It was a test designed to get you flustered so that your pride would get in the way of victory. It would be an obstacle. 

Luckily, you'd been practicing parkour and could jump obstacles easily. 

So you did jump, and though you weren't in the air for even a second, it felt like an eternity as you fell closer and closer to Akira. You watched a smile form on his face in slow motion as he wrapped his arms tightly around your waist, snatching you from the air and holding you close to his body. He swung around from the momentum, facing away from the wall. Akira smiled proudly up at you. "You win. Ask away." 

You stared down at him breathlessly. Your mind was racing your heart, but your heart was winning. You'd never been this close to a guy before. He was still holding you; he wasn't going to let go until you answered him. You weren't ready. _God,_ his arms felt so strong. Was he always so strong? You were learning a lot about his physicality today, way more than you expected. Your face was burning. You needed to act. Say something. _Anything._

"What do you think of me?" Shit, anything but _that!_

Akira's eyes went wide and your face turned scarlet. "T-That's not what I... I didn't mean to say that! Just- will you put me down already?!" Akira obliged and you leaned against the wall, pressing a hand to your racing heart as you tried to calm down. You took a few deep breaths. Akira was still waiting for you to elaborate, but dammit, after pulling a stunt like that he deserved to wait. Finally you regained your composure and stood up, nervously facing him. "C... Can I take it back...?" Akira grinned, and you knew he wouldn't let that slide. You sighed. "Ugh, this day is ruined..." You hadn't expected to blurt out your honest feelings, but you wouldn't mind getting this resolved. You'd hopelessly pined after him for weeks. Perhaps getting a resolution to your feelings would help you give your heart a rest, even if it meant spending the evening crying into your futon... Akira was staring at you, as if trying to formulate a response. This was _not_ the time for him to be quiet. "W-Well, I said what I said, so give me an answer already!" 

Akira tilted his head down, his bangs falling into his eyes. "I admire you," he said quietly. 

"You... what?" 

Suddenly he was on you, his arms wrapped tightly around you once more, his face buried into your neck. "Actually," he whispered into your skin, "I really like you." 

"W-Wait, you're not-?!" Your face was burning again. You were struggling in his grasp. He was joking, he had to be. But then he was gazing at you with those onyx eyes, and then he closed them, and you felt something soft against your lips - what was it? Your eyes were closed too. Is this...? 

"Does that answer your question?" he breathed. 

You nodded, staring at him with wide eyes. He started to pull away. "W-Wait! Let... let me... do that again. I w-wasn't ready..." Akira smiled and leaned down. You pressed your lips to his. The taste was bitter from drinking coffee, but in that moment you didn't care. Nothing could have ruined that moment for you. You wanted to keep kissing him forever, but you were new to kissing, and your lungs were screaming for air. You pulled away and stared at his chest. "That was... nice..." He kissed your forehead in response. 

After that he took you home. Neither of you said anything, but your hand tightly grasped his the entire time. When it was time to say goodbye, he kissed your cheek and told you to text him later. You agreed and watched him leave, then floated up the stairs into your apartment. You collapsed onto your futon and stared up at the ceiling. You wanted to scream and cry and laugh all at the same time; your emotions were so jumbled that they battled each other. It was so exhausting that you ended up drifting off into sleep. 

Instead, you screamed when you woke up, after having dreamt of kissing him the entire time.


	12. Journey Arcana, Rank 10

You had a few things to discuss with Akira now. 

First of all, the results of the contest. You had performed much more poorly than you had hoped for, and you wanted to make that clear. And then there was the status of your relationship... if it could be called that. Technically there had been no verbal agreement to start dating, though he did say he liked you. Maybe he meant as a temporary fling more than a girlfriend? Or maybe he was the kind of guy to be devoted to several girls? It was hard to keep these concerns at the back of your head, because obviously you didn't really care anyway. More importantly, your attempt to expose him had been foiled. If he really did mean to start a relationship with you, he couldn't keep secrets like that. You wanted the guy you liked to be completely honest with you. 

You sent him another text asking him to meet you on the school rooftop. You weren't _technically_ supposed to be up there, but that wasn't the most deviant thing you'd do that day anyway. Of course the Phantom Thief wouldn't have any qualms about breaking the rules, and he easily agreed. You were able to get to the rooftop before him and looked up at the entryway, noticing an immediate problem. _What to do?_ You saw some desks pushed against the wall next to door and got an idea. That was how Akira walked in on you stacking desks on top of each other. 

"Uh..." 

You flinched in surprise, not expecting him to sneak up on you, but only wobbled a little bit before regaining your balance. "Don't walk in so quietly like that!" you scolded. Sighing, you jumped down. "I guess if I couldn't handle a scare like that, though, then I wouldn't be any good for parkour." 

"Is that why...?" 

"Yeah." You flashed him a bright smile before expertly climbing the desks and getting on top of the roof to the entryway. "This is the highest I've ever been! I bet nobody's gotten to the very top of the school before!" 

Akira looked up at you in alarm. "Careful, you'll fall!" 

"Relax, it's not like I did this without practice. I mean, it's my first time coming up here specifically, but I prepared to be able to do it."You reached a hand out. "Care to join me?" 

Akira stiffened, his glasses reflecting the light of dusk, and stood quietly. After a few tense moments, he approached the desks and began to cautiously climb them. Using the trim of the roof to keep your foot from sliding, you grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the rooftop before sitting with him. "... It's nice up here," he admitted." 

"Isn't it?" The sun was setting on Tokyo's skyline. Down below, all sorts of people made a racket as they fussed about with ending their day and going home. None of it could reach you as you sat in silence, watching the sky morph its colors. The lack of sound gave power to your other senses, and you felt Akira relax in your mutual bond of trust. You relaxed as well and stared ahead. As the sky began to show purple hues, signaling the end of this magic hour, you finally spoke up. "I want to continue with parkour," you confessed. "I want to see this view all the time, from all sorts of different places." You looked at Akira with an embarrassed smile. "I really wanted to kick your butt in that contest, but I overestimated myself. I still have a long way to go, I think, but I don't want to give up." 

"You did really well," Akira assured you. 

You grimaced. "Can you really say that when I won thanks to your deal? But... that's the point. I want to prove to myself that I _can_ do these things. I have a clear goal. I might get in trouble... but I think that would be a great adventure. So I'm never going to give up on this. The next time I challenge you, the victory will be mine." 

"That doesn't sound fun..." 

"Ha! Good, it shouldn't be!" You smiled at him. "But it was thanks to you that I was able to find this goal. I never realized how much I enjoyed working hard at this until you showed me how much I have to work for. So... thank you." Akira nodded in acknowledgement, a smile playing on his lips. You found yourself staring at them, so you looked away. You couldn't stop thinking about kissing him. Your feelings were about to burst out of your chest, as if you couldn't possibly love him anymore than you already did. It felt like a resolution. 

But you still had more to say. You couldn't let yourself get carried away again. Time to spill the beans. "So... I know you're a phantom thief." Akira took a double-take, sweating as he stared at you. But he said nothing, so you continued. "I had so many hints, but I really should have figured it out when my landlord changed. Honestly... an informant! I wanna hit myself so bad..." 

Akira looked back at the sun. "A phantom thief..." He returned his gaze to you and leaned in close. "And what if I am?" 

You blushed and leaned away from him. "H-Hey, careful! You'll make me fall!" Akira complied and leaned back, but his grin told you he wasn't sorry in the slightest. You sighed. "If you're thinking that I'll rat you out, you can forget it. It would be pretty awful of me to do that after you helped me so much. But I'm still a little upset... I told you all of my secrets, and you let me make a fool of myself. Not to mention... a phantom thief?! What an incredible adventure!" 

"I had to protect you," Akira reasoned. 

"Yeah, yeah, I know... I guess whatever criteria you need to be a phantom thief, I don't meet it. But that's fine. You gave me a different adventure to look forward to... but I'm still mad! So I've come up with two conditions for my forgiveness." 

Akira laughed. "State your terms." 

"First of all, I want you to tell me about all of your exploits as a phantom thief. I can at least vicariously live that fantasy... and secondly..." Here was the hard part. You looked away and blushed. "Starting now, you'll be my boyfriend." 

Akira cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "But we're already dating." 

"I- We were?! B-But... we never actually said-!" Your flustering was interrupted by a deep kiss. He pressed his hand against your cheek as he sucked on your lip, and the shock of it was enough to completely freeze you. 

He didn't pull away until you relaxed against him. He touched his forehead to yours and stared into your eyes. "Consider that my _official_ confession," he whispered. You could only nod in agreement, having forgotten all about your conditions. He'd already had your forgiveness. Akira smiled and turned to watch the sunset fall beyond the horizon, wrapping his arm around you. As your head fell on his shoulder, he rested his head atop of yours. He held you for the last few remaining minutes of dusk. When darkness finally began to fall on the city, he pulled away. "I should take you home." 

"But... I don't want this to be over yet..." 

Akira smiled. "Then I'll see you again soon." 

You sighed. "Fine..." You helped him down from the roof, and you walked home together hand in hand. He kissed you goodnight, and the day was over. You thought about how you'd broken your promise to Toranosuke. _I suppose it isn't stealing if I willingly give my heart to him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here it is boyos! time for me to spill the beans as well: you may know that this isn't the last chapter, but as it turns out, i plan to write for every confidant event in the game! so thank you for reading thus far, and please stay tuned for more chapters of journey :D i know i really messed up with these last couple of chapters, so as an apology... the next chapter will have lots of sloppy makeouts ;3


	13. Journey Arcana, Let's Go to My Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> makeouts in this chapter! you've been warned!

After everything that happened, life settled into a regular routine. You and Akira texted in your free time, which wasn't often between your theater job and his thieving duties, and you began to wish that there were more hours in the day. You wanted to see your boyfriend. And yes, you were obsessed with thinking of him like that. 

He did eventually come calling, in a sense, about a week after your moment on the rooftop. You were about to enter the library when he stopped you. "Hi."

"Oh, Akira-kun, hey... what's up?" You tried to great him normally, but the memory of his lips on yours was already burning through your cheeks. 

"You wanna hang out today?"

You had intended to study since you had a rare day off, but you hadn't seen Akira in so long... to hell with studying. "Sure! Where do you wanna go?" 

He grinned. "Let's go to my room."

Now you were definitely blushing. _His room?_ How could he suggest something like that so casually?! But... it's normal for couples to spend time alone like that, and it's not like you weren't enticed by the idea... So you raised your head and offered your best smile. "Sure, that actually sounds fun..."

Akira's grin turned into a smile once he saw you relax, and he extended a hand. Shyly, you took it and let him walk you to LeBlanc. By the time you got there, he was pulling you along rather quickly. You barely had time to greet a dumbfounded Sakura before being led up the steps, and before you knew it, you were in the attic of LeBlanc.

It wasn't the best room; the beams in the ceiling were exposed and it felt a little drafty, but it was clean, so Akira must have been doing his best with what he had. There were sacks of coffee beans on a metal shelf, but that was the only obvious link to the cafe below. Akira had plenty of posters and statues and appliances, allowing him to somewhat lavishly decorate his temporary space. _Temporary..._ You didn't like that thought. "Wow," you said instead, "This place is pretty nice!" 

"Glad you like it," Akira replied. After putting his bag down and unzipping it so his cat could escape, he sat on the couch and gestured to the spot next to him. 

You took it with a shy smile and looked around the room. "I wonder how much of this is from being a Phantom Thief..." 

He shrugged. "Most of the decorations are from friends." 

"Wow, then you've made a lot of friends... must be nice." 

Akira looked at you, then grinned. He swiftly wrapped his arm around your shoulders and pulled you close "Having a girlfriend is nicer," he whispered.

 _Explosion imminent. Abort abort ABORT._ "Hey, so... what's it like to be a Phantom Thief?" 

Akira smiled at you, then touched his chin as he thought of an answer. "... Exhilarating." You gazed at him in wonder, so he continued. "I can uphold my own sense of justice. I feel free." 

"Your own sense of justice, huh? Well, I guess by legal standards what you're doing is wrong... how _do_ you do it, anyway?" 

Akira began to explain how the MetaNav showed up on his phone one day and always came back if he deleted it. He told the story of getting trapped in a palace and unlocking a strange power called a Persona. He told you about how people's twisted desires manifested as a Treasure, and it was the job of the Phantom Thieves to steal these treasures and consequently steal a corrupted person's heart. Most interesting was when he told you about Mementos, the palace of the general public. "That's where we fought your landlord," he explained. 

"What? He was...?" You supposed it didn't really surprise you, since you knew his heart was stolen, but it was still crazy to think that any of this fantastical stuff was related to you. You had another question. "How many of you are there?" 

"Hmm... eight." 

"There's that many people in the Phantom Thieves?!" 

"No, Morgana isn't a person." 

"Morgana..." It finally clicked. "No way. The _damn cat._ Is a _Phantom Thief._ " Morgana meowed loudly in response. "Is he talking or something? Can you understand him?!"

"... Yeah." 

You leaned back and stared at Morgana before laughing. "Of course! That's why you carry him around everywhere; he's like your animal advisor! Geez, Akira-kun, it's like you're-"Morgana suddenly bounded downstairs, interrupting you. You couldn't finish your comment, because Akira had leaned over to stick his face in your hair. You blushed, but didn't move to stop him. "H-Hey, wait, Akira-kun..." 

"No more formalities," he ordered. 

"What?! B-But I-" You were interrupted once more as he began to nuzzle the crook of your neck. It set your skin on fire and sent shivers down your back. You had to comply. "A-Akira..." 

"That's my girl," he whispered. He began pressing kisses along your jawline and nipping at your ear. Your mind was softly reminding you that this wasn't proper. A self-respecting girl alone with a boy in his room while he touched her like this? Preposterous. But... you _wanted_ it. You felt dirty for thinking it, but you knew it would be okay if it were Akira. Even so, your conscience would not let it slide if you said nothing. "A-Akira, this isn't..." 

"It's not a crime," he joked, as if that helped. 

You laughed anyway, comforted enough to play along. "What if it is?"

The Phantom Thief held your chin in the knuckle of his index finger and turned your head to face him. With a grin, he breathed, "I'll add it to the list," and then he was kissing you. 

He'd kissed you before, but this was different. This was intense and passionate, like he meant to express all of his feelings with the force of his lips on yours. The weight of it crushed your chest and made it hard to breathe, but that somehow made it more exciting. You were emboldened by his love for you; you wanted to rise to the challenge of returning it. You raised your hand to his hair, burying your fingers in his curly locks. It was _heavenly_ to touch him. He hummed against your lips as he kissed you over and over again, pushing and pulling like the turbulent surf onto the beach. You felt a ball of lead form in your stomach. Nothing you'd ever done in your life felt this good. You squeaked into the kiss; you were going crazy. The intensity of truly feeling him was almost scary, but you wanted to adventure further into the depths. You didn't care if it snowballed; you weren't ready to stop yet.

He moved his hand from your chin to trace a line down your arm, from your neck to your shoulder and ending at your wrist. You shivered again, your breath catching in your throat. Your fingers intertwined as you clasped hands, and you held on more tightly than you ever had before. You didn't want to let go; not now, not ever. You were pressing yourself against him now; you wanted to close as much distance as your impulsiveness would allow. He moaned as if it was the most divine thing he'd ever experienced. He softly bit your lip before smoothing it over with his tongue; you daringly opened your mouth. The two of you were losing control fast. His tongue pushed past your lips, rolling against yours. You tried your best to mimic him, and the result... _oh wow._ Your tongues danced in a fit of passion, but there was no question as to who had control. He tugged at your waist, so you obediently straddled his lap. Your hands were on his shoulders, then his chest. He felt _so_ toned under your fingers. Obviously his thieving activities helped him to stay fit. You had hoped he liked your body too, but now he was running his gentle hands over all of your curves. He kept his hands away from your chest, but then they dropped to your hips, and he grabbed them to pull you closer. He sucked on your lip and placed one hand on your thigh, squeezing it gently and allowing his fingers to inch upwards under your skirt. 

_Okay, that's enough._ You finally pulled away, gazing into his eyes as you both gasped for breath. He looked just as bewildered as you. You were at a loss for words. "...Wow," you finally breathed.

"Wow," he agreed. You shyly got off of his lap and sat next to him. He wrapped his arm around you once again, more protectively this time. Akira, who always vanished into the night and left you to your own devices, finally didn't want to let you go. You cuddled up to his chest, and he kissed your head. Your mind was racing for something else to say, but he spoke first. "Was that bad?" You shook your head. "Were you scared?" 

This time you had to think a little. "... Yes," you finally conceded. "But because it's you, I knew it would be okay..." And it was. You'd pulled away, expressed your boundaries, and Akira had allowed it. Of course he would want you to feel safe. Something else was weighing on your mind. "Was I heavy?" you quietly asked. 

Akira buried his face in your hair again. "You were perfect," he whispered. Your face burned. You didn't care anymore.

You sat quietly for a while, simply being together, and then you couldn't deny that it was getting late. Akira walked you home, kissed you goodnight, and vanished once more.


	14. Journey Arcana, School Trip

Usually you tried to keep up with your studies, but nowadays you were tired all of the time. On top of working out when you had the chance, a movie had just premiered at the theater and you were getting some business for a change. You were exhausted and spacing out. That's why you almost missed your homeroom teacher's reminder.

"Alright everyone, I know next week is the school trip and you all must be very excited, but you're not on the plane yet. Remember to focus on your studies until the week is over." He clicked his tongue and muttered under his breath. "All the way to Hawaii... just visit Okinawa, you spoiled kids..." His snide comment aside, you instantly perked up. _A trip to Hawaii?!_ You'd completely forgotten! You didn't have many friends to spend it with, but what an amazing time you could have exploring the hidden crevices of Hawaii! Your mind filled with images of high cliffs and sandy beaches... swimsuits... _oh._

Until now, the concept of Akira existing underneath his clothes had eluded you, as you were too busy in your dreams of a reckless adventure and a sparkling youthful romance. It suddenly occurred to you that his head and hands were attached to a regular human body. You tried not to pursue this train of thought so as not to implode during class, but you couldn't help it. You imagined his clothes fading away and melting off, creating muscle where you'd only felt it through fabric, and... oh god, this trip was going to be the death of you.

As soon as you got home from school, you texted Akira. You needed to remind yourself that he was still just a regular person, even if he was your boyfriend and had actual skin under his blazer. Shaking your head, you tried to act as if everything was going well. 

_Hi, Akira! Did your teacher remind you about the school trip? I'd totally forgotten... are you looking forward to it?_

His reply arrived shockingly fast. _Yeah. We're lucky._

_No kidding! My teacher was swearing at us for not going to Okinawa instead. I think he's jealous! I'm just looking forward to getting up high and enjoying the view._

_I'm excited to hang out with you._

_So am I, haha... Well, I'd better get to studying. Talk to you later!_ You tossed your phone across the room and reached for your textbook, then immediately scrambled for your phone. _You hadn't taken time off work yet._

* * *

A week later, you arrived at Hawaii. You were exhausted from the flight, but the beautiful scenery invigorated you. _Look at all of the tall buildings! The jagged rocks!_ Already you saw numerous handholds and footholds. You were going to find the rarest sights and treasure all of them. Before that, you had to figure out who to room with. You silently cursed the teachers for not just assigning roommates, and ended up rooming with a quiet yet stylish girl. At least she left you alone... until night arrived. 

Somehow, for some reason, she had managed to drag you out of bed and bring you with her to a gossip group in another room. You were half asleep until you arrived. To no surprise, Takamaki was at the center of attention. She was teaching useful English phrases to everyone, but everyone froze when the door opened. "It's just us!" your roommate whispered. The tension in the room evaporated as you were welcomed into the circle. As you settled in, you listened aimlessly to Takamaki's lesson, but were almost beginning to fall asleep sitting up. 

As the night went on, the topic shifted from English lessons to boys. "You know," said your roommate pointedly, "If there's one guy I would _never_ go for, it's Kurusu-san." 

Oh. 

"Honestly, it really creeps me out," said another girl. "He just walks around like he's innocent. Does he even have feelings?" 

"Of course he does!" Oops. That last voice was yours. Everyone was staring at you now. 

"Come to think of it, you spend a lot of time with him, right?" 

"Yeah!" your roommate piped up. "She's always with him in Shibuya. I see them all the time!" So that's why she wanted you to come so bad. She wanted brownie points for bringing fresh bait. Suddenly, everyone was begging you to spill the beans. "Confess, confess! You're dating him, aren't you? Tell us!" 

You couldn't help it; the injustice of their prosecution made rage boil within you. "Yeah, I am dating him!" you nearly shouted. "And he's _nothing_ like anything you're saying!" 

The door opened. Frozen in shock, everyone turned to see Niijima staring sternly at the crowd of girls. "This is highly against regulation," she scolded. "Get back to your rooms and be glad it was me instead of a teacher." The girls groaned and sent several dirty looks your way as they trudged back to their rooms. You were about to leave when Niijima stopped you. "You stay here." Your blood ran cold. You were really, really regretting letting yourself be dragged into this trap. 

Fairly soon, only Niijima and Takamaki were left in the room. "A-Am I in trouble...? Was I being too loud?" 

Niijima was suddenly smiling. "Actually, Ann texted me. She said the situation was getting bad and asked me to intervene." 

Ann... Takamaki? She touched your shoulder and smiled brightly at you. "Thanks for standing up for Akira. He really is a nice guy. Those rumors are the worst." 

"Huh?" 

"We're friends with him, Ann and I," Niijima explained. "I guess you could say we're all fighting towards a common goal...?" A common goal... in other words, the business of stealing people's hearts. You kept that realization to yourself. "Truth be told, you were definitely being a little too loud. If I hadn't come, you'd be in serious trouble! But we do appreciate you trying to clear things up." 

"That being said," Ann said with a grin, "Fess up. Were you telling the truth about dating him?" 

Your eyes widened and your cheeks flushed red. "U-Um..." 

The two girls laughed. "Akira, that devil! He's got this poor girl hooked!" 

You cast your eyes downward. "They're gonna start spreading rumors about me now, aren't they...? I really don't want him to worry." You recalled the scary glint in Akira's eyes when a random student had called you a whore for being seen with him. 

"I'll explain everything," Takamaki said with a wave. "I'll just say you lied to be nice." 

"And if I hear any gossiping, I'll put a stop to it," Niijima promised. 

"Thank you both very much," you said with a small sigh of relief. 

"No problem! Don't be so formal with us," Takamaki said cheerfully. "Here, why don't we exchange numbers? You look like you need more allies to back you up. One condition, though... Tell us everything. I wanna know how he stole your heart!" 

" _Ahem,_ " Niijima said pointedly. "I suppose I want to hear the story, too." 

Well, at least the night was saved. Your recount of the tale was timid at first, but you began to open up as they laughed and chatted with you about this mysterious dork that had connected you. Perhaps these girls could be friends. 

* * *

The next two days went by rather quickly; the beaches were strictly patrolled so climbing the rocks proved to be difficult, but you found security to be more lax further inland to practice. A few times you got some breathtaking views, but you decided taking a picture would defeat the purpose. Finally, the last full day of vacation arrived, and you realized you hadn't yet seen Akira. It would be absolutely criminal if you managed to make zero memories with him during this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so you texted him early in the day. _Sorry I haven't contacted you yet! I was busy monkeying around... It's our last day, so do you wanna meet up? How about the beach?_

You got his reply about half an hour later. _Let's do it._

Your heart nearly flew out of your chest. _Awesome! I really can't wait... See you soon!_ You quickly began to change into your swimsuit. It wasn't especially cute, but you hoped he would like it anyway. On your way to the beach, you happened to spot something at a souvenir shop. It was a perfect gift for Akira. You snapped it up and continued to your meeting spot. 

You arrived first, so you found a bench and sat down to wait, but Akira showed up not long after. "Hi!" you greeted. "Thanks for suddenly agreeing to meet with me." 

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he replied. 

"Oh! No, not at all..." You trailed off as he noticed he was staring at you. You glanced down at your swimsuit, suddenly feeling self conscious. "It doesn't really suit me, does it...?" 

Akira immediately raised his head and shook it. "You look incredible." 

"O-Oh..." You were initially flattered, then it finally clicked. "Oh! Why, you- quit staring!" You sighed. "Who knew you'd be like this in a relationship...? Whatever, let's just get going. I want to enjoy this last day here!" Akira smiled and followed as you led him down the beach, talking with you about the things you'd done on the trip. Before long, you came across a strange food stand. Luckily, you knew enough English to read the label. "Garlic shrimp! Wow, that sounds interesting! Akira, let's give it a try!" He smiled - just slightly - and nodded his assent. 

As you approached the stand together, its owner noticed you. "You two from Japan?" he asked in accented Japanese. 

"Oh, um... yes?" You hadn't yet been recognized or even noticed by a foreigner, and didn't quite know how to react. 

He didn't notice your discomfort and kept on talking. "How 'bout them Phantom Thieves, huh? The guys that steal hearts, heh!" 

Now he really had your attention. You shot a glance at Akira, who had managed to deadpan. You turned back to the vendor. "You've heard about them even over here?" 

"Heard about it on the news," he clarified. "They're all the rage in Japan, yeah? Say, if y'run into 'em, tell 'em I say hello. And ask 'em to change people's hearts so everyone loves shrimp, haha!" 

"Uh..." Silence from Akira. He was letting you handle it. "Um, I doubt that I ever will, but okay...?" You got on with placing an order, getting an exorbitant amount of shrimp, arguing with Akira about the bill before agreeing to split it, and went on your way. When you first bit into the garlic shrimp, you cringed. "Wow, that's sour! I really wasn't expecting that!" Akira had laughed enough to embarrass you, so you soldiered on and got used to the taste. After eating your fill, you and Akira continued to stroll along the beach, chatting about both nothing and everything. 

As the sun began to sink beneath the sea and the Hawaiian sky turned golden, Akira suggested you find a bench for spectating the sunset. It was one of his best ideas yet. You sat in silence for a moment before you broke it. "I guess in some places you don't need to climb up high for a breathtaking view, huh?" Akira gave you an amused smile, and continued to stare at the sky. You admired his profile for a minute. His eyes were so confident; powerful. He saw the future of Japan, and how his hands could mold it. But that power didn't scare him. He was emboldened by the knowledge that he could save the country. "You're just like the heroes from my books," you said. Out loud. _Oops._ "I-I mean that in a good way! You just... look so secure. You're not even afraid of messing up. I don't even know how I would feel in your situation..."

"You'd be a great leader," Akira assured. 

"You think? I could certainly try, I guess..." The compliment made you happy, and you basked in the feeling along with his onyx eyes. You almost got lost in them and then remembered the gift. "Oh, wait, we were having so much fun talking I almost forgot about this! Lemme give it to you so I don't forget again." You pulled out an elegant shell bracelet sewn to a braided cord for comfort. "It's really hard to sew shells together, kinda like what you and I do... so I thought it would make a good gift." 

Akira's eyes widened at the gift before he smiled warmly. "Thank you." He put the bracelet on and admired it on his wrist. That alone was enough to make your day. Which was probably a good thing, as the golden sky was beginning to wane violet. "I guess we should get going before it gets too dark." 

Just as you began to stand, Akira grabbed your wrist. "A bit longer won't hurt," he whispered, his eyes pleading. 

It tugged at your heart, enough for you to concede. "I guess not," you said with a shy smile. Akira smiled back, but then he was tugging you off of the bench anyway, leading you down the beach. 

He took you to a secluded space and everything after that was blurry. Suddenly he was kissing you, sucking and biting on your lip, like he was consuming your breath. And then his body was against yours, and you could feel his sacred skin, and _god_ it was indecent but it felt too good to stop. And then he was holding your breast in his large hand, and even though it was new and scary you still couldn't stop him, since you wanted it so badly. He memorized every inch of your torso that day, and you breathlessly allowed it, your own fingers snaking over his muscles as he stole your heart all over again. You had a feeling today wouldn't be the last time he did it, either. It was the hazy memory of that moment that accompanied you through your last night in Hawaii and through the journey home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy smokes this chapter is long! hope that's okay! normally i would cut the whole gossip girl part but i think that will connect to something in a few chapters...


	15. Journey Arcana, School Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone, how bout dem royals? took a break from fanfic to play it, and like, deal with the crumble of society, sorry for not saying anything. by the way, for the most part i'm going to ignore royals in this fanfic because.... ehhhhhhhhhh......... let's just say i'm royally disappointed lol. it does add a white day sequence so i will be using that, but that's it

It was late October, which meant the cultural school festival was taking over Shujin Academy. Since your class was doing a regular cafe, you couldn't muster up any particular feelings about it. During your break on the second day, you decided to see what was happening in the gymnasium, since it seemed like all the main events would take place there. You arrived to find that every seat was taken, so with little choice you simply leaned against the back wall. Surveying the crowd, you spotted Akira standing with his friends in the balconies that ran along the gym's side walls. You smiled brightly and waved, but he didn't even turn his head. He was entirely focused on the stage, his jaw set rigidly. Was something wrong? You turned to the stage and saw Niijima take the stage, followed by a familiar face. You knew you'd seen him before, but couldn't put a name to his face. Was he an actor or something? Niijima allowed him to stand behind the podium before gesturing for people to quiet down.

"Well then," she stated into a microphone, "we will now begin today's panel. Our guest of honor is Goro Akechi." _Oh!_ Now you recognized him. He wasn't an actor; a charismatic ace detective. You never had any strong opinions on him, just that his role seemed kind of weird, but you'd seen his condemnation of the Phantom Thieves. Wasn't Niijima herself a Phantom Thief? Why would she hold a panel with Akechi? You began to pay closer attention. Something important could happen in the next few minutes.

His voice came out light and airy over the speakers. "I feel kind of bad, considering how many people have gathered... I'm sure you all would've been happier to have a singer or a mascot appear, wouldn't you say?" The majority of the crowd laughed. It became clear that they were more than happy to have him.

Niijima continued. "We'd appreciate it if you could tell us about your experiences with the notorious Phantom Thieves. It'd be wonderful if you could let us hear more about your actual investigative process."

I'm not used to being the one interrogated, so please go easy on me." Another big laugh from the crowd. Was he really that popular?

"As much as you're allowed to say, would you tell us how far along your investigation is on them?" Niijima asked.

"Getting right to the point, I see. Well, if it's as much as I'm allowed to say, then everything on TV and the internet is all of it. We don't have any leads yet, and the methods behind their crimes are still unclear." _Crimes?_ You had to bite your lip. You knew in your heart the Phantom Thieves were the farthest thing from criminals, but you couldn't protest. You could only watch.

"I see... Even with this country's power, arresting them is proving to be difficult... is that the case?" Hearing Niijima's casual jab helped you relax a bit. Somehow, it made you feel closer to her.

"I wouldn't phrase it that way, but... well, something like that." Akechi recovered just as smoothly. You realized you were watching a battle of wit and charisma. You silently rooted for Niijima.

"Thank you for answering that question.," Niijima said diplomatically. "By the way, it seems you've denied a correlation between the Phantom Thieves and the murders... Why the sudden change? Until now, haven't you upheld your stance that the Phantom Thieves are dangerous? How are you so positive that they haven't committed murder?"

"Aren't you a little too comfortable interrogating people? Why, it's as if you're a prosecutor." The crowd laughed, but you simply smiled. Those words meant he was running away, right?"

Niijima backpedaled anyway. "Ah, excuse me. This is something I've been personally interested in, so I couldn't help it... But won't you tell us? What reason is there that you'd claim their innocence when you previously stated they were unjust?"

"Every person whose heart they changed have truly been criminals, including Okumura... Why, then, was he the only one who needed to be killed...?" You winced at Akechi's words. You'd seen the footage as everyone else had. You didn't need Akira's reassurance to know it wasn't the Phantom Thieves' fault, but that didn't comfort you. It only meant there was an even more powerful enemy at large. It made you scared for Akira's safety.

"Why is that?" Niijima pressed."

"I must admit... I couldn't deduce a reason. That's why I believe the case should be thought of as if a different party were responsible. And if - this is all hypothetical, mind you - if the Phantom Thieves are the ones I know of, I can't possibly imagine they would kill anyone."

The tension in the gym suddenly spiked as the students began to whisper among themselves. _The ones I know of._ That couldn't possibly mean... But Niijima was already on it. "Your comment just now... Does this mean the police have already identified who they are?"

"Oh, no. The police haven't gotten that far yet. But I have my own conclusions about the identities of the Phantom Thieves." The whispers grew louder. Niijima said nothing. "You're not going to ask me who they are?" Akechi probed. Your fingernails dug into your palms. Akechi had taken control of the panel in just a few words. You willed Niijima to get him back.

"... It may have repercussions on the investigation. Are you sure you can share that with us?"

"It's only my personal opinion, so announcing that here wouldn't pose a problem. However... there is a possibility that everyone present will hear the truth before the police or the media." _Crap._

"... That's quite the confidence you have," Niijima conceded. "If you're so certain... then very well. I'd like to ask you then: who do you the Phantom Thieves are, Akechi-san?" You felt the blood drain from your face. Had she lost?

"They're people you all know quite well. The identity of the Phantom Thieves are-" A phone suddenly rang. "Oh, it's mine," Akechi admitted. "I apologize for the interruption, but I can't turn off my phone due to my job. Would you mind if I step away for about... ten minutes or so?"

Niijima turned to the crowd. "I'm terribly sorry, everyone, but we'll be taking a break. We'll resume the panel in ten minutes." Akechi made a joke and began to talk with Niijima, but you dizzily got up from your chair. You needed to find Akira and talk to him about all of this. You wanted to be there if he needed you. You ran up to the balcony, but by the time you got there, Akira and his friends were nowhere to be seen. Defeated and sick with anxiety, you reserved yourself to wandering the school's halls.

* * *

Wandering the halls and seeing all of the different projects helped to clear your mind. Eventually an Okinawa-themed food stand caught your eye and you decided to investigate a little further. You spotted a delicacy on the menu called sata andagi and learned that it was a fried mixture of flour, sugar, and eggs. You hadn't seen anything like it in Tokyo before, so you ordered a set of them and a paper box for them. Unable to resist temptation, you ate one straight away. It was delicious! _This will be the perfect thing to help cheer up Akira,_ you thought. Conveniently, that moment was when a teacher came on the loudspeaker to announce that the post-festival party had begun in the gym. Perfect timing! You whipped out your phone to text Akira. 

_Hi! Did you wanna go to the post-festival party together? If you haven't left yet, that is..._

The reply was almost instantaneous. _That sounds good._

You breathed a sigh of relief. _Great! I'm on my way to the gym now; meet you there!_ You had to stop yourself from running. 

You and Akira met and exchanged pleasantries before engaging in the party, which was in full swing. The cadence was more than eager to host. "All right, that was a great performance by the dance club! Everybody give them a big round of applause!" 

You happily obliged, but Akira stood completely still. Clearly he was distracted by what had happened earlier. He needed some encouraging words. "Hey, um..." You struggled to think of something to say. "Thanks for meeting me here even though you're probably preoccupied." 

Akira reached up and fiddled with his hair. "With what?" 

"Well, I saw what happened earlier with Akechi, and..." 

You were interrupted by the cadence. "And now, it's time for your favorite Shujin tradition: the Student Sharing special! Round of applause, everyone!" 

That was enough to distract you. "That's a tradition here? What does that even mean?" Unfortunately, you were about to find out. 

"All right, who has something to say? Anyone, anyone?!" Clearly, the rest of the audience did not favor this event as much as the MC. "No? I'll just have to pick someone then! How about the wallflower girl over there?! I choose you!" You suddenly realized that he was pointing in your direction and that everyone was looking at you. You instantly stiffened with panic and pointed to yourself. "Yes, you! Come on up!" 

You deflated just as quickly. "Oh, no... this can't be good..." 

Akira offered you an impish grin. "Good luck," he whispered. 

You rolled your eyes. "Real helpful." 

"Come, come!" the cadence insisted. "Everyone's waiting!" You groaned and marched up the steps to stand in front of the microphone. Akira found a seat in the front row and looked on, an impish gleam in his glasses. The cadence eagerly started the show. "And your name is?" You regrettably stuttered your name into the microphone. "Aw, there's no need to be shy! No one's gonna bite!" the cadence teased. "Now then, on with the show! What would you like to share with us?" 

"Um..." Crap. You wanted to say something boring so you could get off the stage, but your brain was frozen. You couldn't think of anything to say. 

"Uh oh, cracking under pressure? Here then; I'll give you a question... do you think the Phantom Thieves are really Shujin students?" 

"Do I- _What?!_ " Akira was shifting in his seat. Why would he ask something like that? 

"We're all dying to know what Akechi-kun was going to say about their true identities. So, are they from Shujin? What do you think?" 

You scrambled for an answer that would deflect attention. "T-That's absolutely... um..." Those few seconds felt like an eternity. _What should I say? How can I help him?_

He already had an idea. He stood from his seat, cupped his hands around his mouth, and yelled, "I've always loved you!" 

Everyone turned to him, including you. "You- seriously?!" Now you were blushing in front of the entire student body, great. 

The cadence, on the other hand, was overdelighted. "Now this is drama! A boy caught in the throes of bittersweet youth! A stunning confession of love!" 

You were growing increasingly annoyed at your inability to have any say in this scenario. You tried anyway. "Hey, this is-" 

No dice. "Sooo, what's your relation to this guy?" 

You almost stomped in anger. "Cut it, seriously!" 

"My, she's as red as a beet! But I'm a gentleman. It hurts my heart to bully such a sweet girl! Well, did you all enjoy our blushing beauty? Thank you very much!" You silently fumed, shooting Akira a meaningful glance as you stormed off the stage and out of the gymnasium. 

He obediently followed you up to the rooftop where you let your anger loose. " _Ugh!_ That guy was such a jerk! Gentleman my ass! And _you_ , what was that all about?! Suddenly confessing like that!" 

Akira smiled and put his hands up in surrender. "I couldn't ignore you," he explained. 

"Oh... you'd do that for me?" Your anger disappeared in seconds. You'd thought he was adding fuel to the fire, but he was only taking the heat off of you. "Well... it didn't really work, but it was... nice to hear, so... thank you, Akira. I've always known you were reliable, but to this extent...? It's nice to know I can depend on you from now on..." _Oh, crap, too far._ "T-That is, for the forseeable future!" 

He only grinned. "I prefer forever," he said in a low voice. 

You were taken aback. You'd thought it was taboo to say such things so early in a relationship. "You... really mean that?" He smiled kindly at you. Well, if he was going to be honest, you owed him the same. "Um... I don't know what happened with Akechi, but I wanted to help you forget about it... I hope you at least had some fun. I know I'm not going to forget this time with you, anyway..." Akira smiled again and stepped in close. It looked like he was going to kiss you. "Um- wait! I wanted to give you something." You handed him the package of sata andagi. "I tried one; they're really good, so I wanted you to have the rest..." 

Akira took the package with a raised brow and grinned at you. "I can't wait to eat it." 

You smiled brightly. "Good! Tell me what you think when you do." Suddenly he was upon you, pulling you in by the waist and kissing you deeply. God, he always did his best to sweep you off your feet. You returned the kiss for a moment then pulled away. "H-Hey, it's late, we should be getting home... we'll have time for that later, okay...?" He agreed with a roll of his eyes. The two of you took the train together. As usual, he took you home, but left you with another deep kiss. _Honestly, that guy..._


	16. Journey Arcana, The Suicide

The next month went by with little contact from Akira. He met up with you after the school festival to explain his wretched deal with Akechi, but disappeared afterwards. You wanted to trust in Akira despite your growing anxiety, so you threw yourself into your part-time job, studying and parkour training. You were determined to make Akira praise you once he finished dealing with the ace detective.

You couldn't have guessed those feelings would backfire.

You somehow managed to miss the news when it first hit; you hadn't been checking social media as often since it sickened you to see people slander The Phantom Thieves. The day after it happened you found a spare moment while cooking and finally allowed yourself to check the news.

_Phantom Thieves' Leader Found Dead in Custody; Ruled as Suicide._

What?

Your hands shook as you stared at the headline. You had to be reading it wrong. He wouldn't do that. It had to be some sort of trick. But there it was; his name, his mugshot, and the headline. Your blood ran cold and your insides turned into lead. You dropped your phone, turned off the stove, and quickly put shoes on. You dashed out into the biting November air, adrenaline dashing through your veins as fast as you dashed to LeBlanc. You didn't have time to worry about the cold.

As you rounded onto his street, you noticed a strangely large group of people leaving the cafe. They were all about your age, and you recognized two of them. " _Niijima-san, Takamaki-san!_ "

The entire group turned as you cried for their attention, the two girls you called smiling warmly. "Oh, it's you!" Niijima greeted.

You caught up to them, panting for breath. "Tell me! A-About the news... he's not r-really..."

Niijima and Takamaki looked at each other in confusion. "Did he not tell her?" Niijima asked.

"He wouldn't be that careless," Takamaki argued.

"We're talking about the same guy, right?" a blonde boy piped up. You later recognized him as the delinquent, Sakamato. "After the stunt that bastard pulled, I wouldn't be surprised. Just go on inside, he'll explain it."

A spark of hope ignited in your heart. "You mean he's not...?" Without another word, you ran into the cafe, leaving The Phantom Thieves dumbfounded.

"... By the way, who was that?"

You threw open the door to see Sakura behind the counter as always, and a teenage boy with a hood over his head approaching the stairs. He turned when the bell on the door violently rang. "Oh... hi."

Your breath was rough from running and holding back tears, but now you gasped. You couldn't handle all of the emotions flooding your brain; grief, relief... but one emotion took charge over all of the others. You stomped up to him and pounded on his chest with your fists. "You _jerk!_ " you screamed, tears streaming down your cheeks. "You took a risk like t-that and... didn't even tell m-me! I hate you, I hate you!"

Akira sent Sakura a panicked look as you weakly assaulted him. "I, uh... I'll get going. Lock up for me." Sakura grabbed his coat and hat, not even putting it on as he abandoned Akira.

Eventually you were too tired to hit him; you leaned into his chest as your body was wracked with sobs. "God... thank god you're alive... I was so s-scared... I can't lose y-you...!"

Akira wrapped his arms around you. "I'm sorry," he whispered into your ear. He was so warm.

You sniffed. "You b-better be! What was that all about, anyway?!" You shivered in his arms.

"Where's your coat?"

"I didn't... bring one... I just ran here without thinking..."

"Go upstairs and use the blanket. I'll bring you some coffee."

"No, I'm not leaving you."

Akira sighed with a smile. He locked up the store and picked out a blend for you.

* * *

"... then Sae-san brought me back to LeBlanc.

The two of you were sitting on Akira's bed, his blanket around your shoulders and a mug of delicious coffee in your hands. Once you'd calmed down and stopped shivering, Akira explained everything to you. "I knew that Akechi was a sleaze!" you shouted. "That guy better hope he doesn't run into me!" Akira laughed, but you weren't kidding. "Seriously! I mean... you're alive, but I saw that mugshot. They beat you up really badly, and they..." You gagged thinking about it. "They drugged you like that... That's horrible! I can't believe the justice system is that cruel..."

"They were Shido's cronies," Akira said dismissively. "... Some of them, at least." 

You sighed. "Well, if that's who's protecting our country, then I'm glad that the Phantom Thieves aren't disbanding just yet..." You put the mug down and tried to lean on his shoulder, but the blanket was thick and wouldn't let you get close. "Uh... c'mere." You held the blanket open for him. With one of his impish grins, he wrapped his strong arms around you and pulled you down, holding you close under the blanket.

"I should have said something. I'm sorry." 

You almost cried again, but instead buried your face in his chest. "Tell me the next time something big happens, okay...?" 

"Okay." 

"Promise?" 

"I promise." 

You sighed. With those words, you felt like you could finally relax. You were exhausted from the day's emotional rollercoaster and felt your eyelids growing heavy. "Akira, I'm gonna fall asleep..." 

"Go ahead. I won't make you go home tonight." 

"I haven't eaten yet..." 

"I'll make you something once you wake up." 

"You're... too nice..." You drifted off almost immediately afterwards. Akira struggled to hold back his chuckling; you were just too damn cute to him.

* * *

When you woke up, Akira was asleep on the couch. You felt a pang of regret; you should have let him have the bed. The possibility of sharing it occurred to you, but it was still too soon for you to seriously entertain that thought. So you gently woke him and told him he could go back to bed. Fortunately, Akira was too tired to remember his promise to feed you and went to bed without fighting. You returned home to make yourself breakfast, but found that you'd run out of breakfast foods. And there was that sale in Shibuya today... Sighing, you grabbed your coat and headed for the station. 

You were able to purchase groceries without a problem and considered just buying a snack for breakfast to treat yourself, but then you spotted a small stand for Phantom Thief merchandise. A particular bracelet caught your eye. It was a string of black beads with the Phantom Thief logo as a charm. The price didn't seem too unreasonable either. 

You could skip a fancy breakfast today after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wasn't intending on writing this chapter, but come on, that's weird right? the game just forgets about the other confidants that aren't phantom thieves, but the majority of dateable characters aren't phantom thieves, so if you're dating like hifumi she doesn't freak out hearing that joker is dead... so i was like, screw that. have some angst. that's why this chapter is fairly short. the next chapter is all about the big mementos thing so it may also be short, or i may combine it with the christmas date, idk yet, so if i end up going back to edit stuff that's why. also my boyfriend says apparently the confidants text you to make sure you're okay but i don't remember it nor can i find any proof of it soooooooooooooooooo


	17. Journey Arcana, The Fusion of Mementos

You counted down until the minutes until the end of the work day. You were lucky enough to get an earlier shift so you could spend Christmas Eve with Akira, but you weren't sure he was available. December was his most distant month yet; something had gone really wrong with The Phantom Thieves. He wouldn't tell you any more than that, but you could guess. The politician Masayoshi Shido had confessed to a number of crimes on live television to everyone's shock, but nothing changed. The polls were still in his favor. It was like everyone was quietly and conveniently ignoring his confession. You had no doubt that Akira was doing his best to remedy the situation. 

_At this rate, we may not be able to go out for Christmas Eve... even though I was able to get the evening off..._

But it couldn't be helped. You knew how important it was for The Phantom Thieves to protect the people of Japan, so you forced yourself to be content with it. He could just make it up to you on another day. You held those feelings in your heart until your shift finally ended and you were allowed to change and leave the movie theater. 

You almost dropped your bag upon stepping outside. 

The sky was red and pierced with bones as far as the eye could see. Drops of red fell from the clouds and covered the ground in a thin layer of liquid. You couldn't tell if it was blood or not, which almost scared you more. "What... What is all this?" you wondered aloud. You had stepped in the liquid after leaving the theater and jumped back through the doorframe upon realizing it. "Eek!" 

All for naught. Someone leaving the theater rudely shoved you aside, causing you to fall flat into the liquid. "Watch it!" he yelled in a gruff voice. "Damn kids, never paying attention..." 

You forced yourself up, cringing as the liquid soaked into your clothes and skin. It was too thin to be just blood. That somewhat relieved you, but the man who'd shoved you didn't even seem to care about the blood-like substance he was trudging through "Talk about not paying attention," you muttered. Was it possible that he couldn't see it? You almost dismissed that thought, but then you remembered Akira's explanation of The Phantom Thieves' work. If that was possible, then it was also possible that no one else could see this. You had to confirm it for yourself. 

__You ran to the first person you saw. "Excuse me!" you called. "Um... this is a weird question, but... what color is the sky right now?"_ _

__"Huh?" It was a young woman walking with her daughter. "What a ridiculous question..." Your eyes widened as you realized she couldn't see it either. Was it really just you?_ _

__The woman's daughter pointed at your wrist. "Phantom Thieves!" she shouted. You remembered the small bracelet you had bought for yourself after Akira had faked his suicide. It had become a good luck charm, like he would be okay as long as you wore it. Now you almost pulled your sleeve over it in embarrassment that the little girl had spotted your secret treasure._ _

__"Phantom Thieves?" The woman's brow wrinkled in confusion as she stared at the bracelet. Did she truly not know who they were. "Ah!" she exclaimed. "Right! The masked heroes of justice, or something... you used to really like them, didn't you, sweetheart?" She looked back up at you. "I'm surprised to see someone still wearing their merch. That fad died out a while ago, didn't it? There's barely anyone that remembers them now, I think."_ _

__Your head was spinning. None of this made any sense. "But... they... what about Shido?"_ _

__"What about him?"_ _

__"I... but they..."_ _

__The woman grew uneasy. "Come, darling. We better get home." She quickly dragged her little girl away as you looked around for anyone who could explain this to you._ _

__Someone bumped into you, but luckily you didn't fall this time. "I'm sorry, I- oh, it's you."_ _

__You looked blankly at the person before finally recognizing him. "Boss!"_ _

__"Are you okay?" Sakura was the one who looked tense._ _

__"Y-Yeah, are you?"_ _

__"Yes, I just have to... please excuse me."_ _

__"Wait!" You managed to grab his sleeve. "Please tell me you see all of this too!"_ _

__"I... yeah! So you can see it! That's good... I'm sorry, but I really have to go."_ _

__You gripped his sleeve tighter. "Where are you going?"_ _

__"I was watching the news to see what the media had to say about all of this. They weren't saying anything, but I saw some people running around on the bones behind them in weird costumes."_ _

__Your eyes widened. "So that's..."_ _

__"Yep. It's gotta be. I'm getting in my car and hightailing it to Shibuya. I have to be there... she's with them."_ _

__"Please take me with you!" you begged. You tried your hardest not to cry. "I'm so confused and scared - what if something happens to them?!"_ _

__Sakura scratched his head, but quickly gave in. "Fine. What a pain... come on, let's go."_ _

__"Thank you!" You released Sakura's sleeve and followed him to his car. You sat in worried silence as drove to Shibuya with Sakura._ _

__As you neared the city, you hit traffic. "Damn!" Sakura cursed, banging on the wheel. You were preoccupied. Sakura had the radio on by default, and they were discussing the weather. "It's a beautiful winter day in Tokyo; the sun is shining amidst a delightful sprinkle of clouds. People are wondering if we'll get the first snow of the year on a magical Christmas Eve, and-" Sakura suddenly turned the radio off. "Listening to them talk about nothing while blood falls from the sky pisses me off."_ _

__The radio had annoyed you too, but you were too dazed to say anything about it. "It's not blood."_ _

__"What?'_ _

__"I mean, it could be diluted with water... it's too thin."_ _

__"Oh," Sakura said. "I was wondering why you were all wet..."_ _

__"Someone shoved me. I was standing in the way."_ _

__"That's no excuse to handle a lady like that," Sakura grumbled._ _

__"You're too kind." Without the radio, the silence became awkward. In this situation, however, small talk didn't seem appropriate. A question arose in your mind. "Back in Yongen-Jaya, you said she..."_ _

__"That's none of your..." Sakura sighed. "She's my daughter. I adopted her after her mother died. We were colleagues."_ _

__"I'm sorry to hear that. It's very kind of you to look after her, though."_ _

__"I... felt responsible." An aura of darkness radiated from Sakura. You were about to change the subject, but he beat you to it. "I seem to have a vice for taking in troubled youth," he joked. "But I guess I was paid to look after Akira. I swear I'm not a nice guy," he said with a smirk."_ _

__You managed a laugh. "Of course not," you joked back. "But... why is she with the Phantom Thieves?"_ _

__"She's one of them," he explained with a shrug. "Believe me, I was pissed when I found out, but she changed after she met that group. She left her room and became more social. She was a total hermit when I adopted her; completely unapproachable. I'd be a fool to deny what they did for her."_ _

__"Yeah..." You touched your bracelet with a smile. "I think I understand that."_ _

__The traffic finally started to move. "Thank god," Sakura groaned as he drove on. "I was about to lose my mind."_ _

* * *

____

Upon your arrival in Shibuya, Sakura eventually found a place to park. The two of you hurried to the station square and stared in shock. "Looks like they see it now," Sakura commented. 

____

It was chaos. People were running and screaming and lying on the ground as they vanished into smoke at random. No one knew why it was happening, and the police were powerless to stop it as they desperately tried to get everyone to calm down. 

____

"Oh, crap..." you whispered. A cowardly part of you wished you'd stayed in Yongen-Jaya, but you weren't necessarily safe there either. 

____

A voice suddenly rang out amidst the turmoil. "And we'll definitely... _definitely_..." 

____

"Who's that?" Sakura asked. 

____

" _Take the world!_ " That was when you noticed the logo of The Phantom Thieves displayed on the advertising screen amidst a background of static. Whatever it was they were doing, their voices were suddenly being broadcast. That was when you saw it. "Look!" You pointed up at the top of the building with the screen and saw a giant metallic creature gazing down. "They must be fighting that thing from the roof!" 

____

"Take it down, Phantom Thieves!" Another voice rang out, this time from amongst the crowd. You couldn't see who it was over everyone's heads, but the voice sounded familiar. Everyone was quietly staring at the place where the voice had come from. "Come on!" he shouted again. "Why do you think they've risked their lives all this time?! Dammit, you guys! Snap out of it! _When will you stop running from the truth?!_ " 

____

All was quiet except for the patter of the red liquid hitting the ground. After a few moments of tense silence, murmurs began to grow in the crowd. Before long, those murmurs turned to cheers, then to screams of encouragement. Everyone was cheering for The Phantom Thieves to win. "Phantom Thieves! Can you hear us?!" 

____

"Come on," Sakura said. He guided you through the crowd to the source of the voice. Finally you could see him; it was Mishima from school. After The Phantom Thieves had made their first move against Suguru Kamoshida, Mishima had become an avid supporter of them. Of course he'd be the first to cheer for them in a time like this. "Are you someone who's been charmed by The Phantom Thieves too?" he asked. 

____

Mishima smiled proudly. "I sure am. Is the same true for you guys too?" 

____

"Pretty much," Sakura admitted with a grin. You smiled politely at Mishima as Sakura turned to the crowd. "Looks like it's not just us, though." Every single person in Shibuya was screaming for the Phantom Thieves' victory. You wanted to join them as well. Impulsively, you screamed out, "You'd better win and come back to me! We're all counting on you to beat this thing and save us!" 

____

Even Sakura shouted. "It's your guys' fault I don't know when to quit either. Get back up! Don't lose to that thing!" 

____

Mishima began to shout again. "No matter what anyone says, I believe in you guys! Go for it, Phantom Thieves!" The cheering continued for several minutes until you finally heard his voice. 

____

"We're saving this world." 

____

You and everyone else screamed, with pride and love and hope beating fiercely in your chest. You watched as another metallic creature descended from the sky, took aim, and fired. 

____

That's when time stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> those who are reading this as it updates, yeah i totally retconned the bracelet. sorry not sorry :P


	18. Christmas Eve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i deliberated over whether or not to use the christmas date from the original game or the one from royals. in the end i decided to go with an adapted version of royals. it's kinda short but if i combine it with the next event it might be super long, so i'll post this first and if the next chapter ends up being reeeeally short i'll just add it on to this chapter.

You counted down until the minutes until the end of the work day. You were lucky enough to get an earlier shift so you could spend Christmas Eve with Akira, but you weren't sure he was available. December was his most distant month yet; something had gone really wrong with The Phantom Thieves. He wouldn't tell you any more than that, but you could guess. The politician Masayoshi Shido had confessed to a number of crimes on live television to everyone's shock, and the entire country was in turmoil over it. For better or for worse, Japan would be going into the new year without a prime minister. Akira was probably busy cleaning up the loose ends.

_At this rate, we may not be able to go out for Christmas Eve... even though I was able to get the evening off..._

But it couldn't be helped. You knew how important it was for The Phantom Thieves to protect the people of Japan, so you forced yourself to be content with it. He could just make it up to you on another day. You held those feelings in your heart until your shift finally ended and you were allowed to change and leave the movie theater.

The sky was dark, but the clouds were illuminated by the nearby city. Flakes of snow drifted down from the heavens. It truly was a beautiful night for Christmas Eve. You took out your phone and began to text Akira.

_Hi! I know you've been busy lately, but I managed to get off work early... so, if you're free tonight, do you wanna go out?_

Surprisingly, his response came rather quickly. _That sounds great._

You smiled brightly in spite of yourself and replied as you walked. _Great! I'll head to Shibuya. Meet me at the station!_ Clutching your bag and its precious cargo, you practically ran to the train station.

* * *

Luckily, it wasn't hard to find Akira in the crowd. You called out to him. "Akira!" He turned to you and gave you a warm smile as you approached. You resisted the urge to hug him tightly. "Hi," you said breathlessly. "I'm really glad that we could meet up today..."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he smoothly replied.

You laughed. "Come on, we both know you've got a lot on your shoulders. For tonight, let's take it easy, okay?" You surveyed the crowd. "I'm not sure if we'll be able to do anything... but there's no use in not trying, right?" Akira nodded, his curls bouncing in front of his eyes. He was just too cute; you wanted so badly to touch him... then you thought of the perfect excuse. "Hey, um, it's really cold, and neither of us have gloves, so..." You held out your hand. "Do you wanna hold hands?" He smiled and wordlessly took your hand in his. It was so much bigger than yours. Your fingers intertwined, and you became aware of how wonderful it is to know something as simple as the intricate contours of a loved one's hand.

Firmly linked, the two of you scoured Shibuya for a restaurant to stop at, but every single one of them was booked solid. Your hopes began to dim more and more every time a hostess told you that there would be an hour's wait for a table. Finally, you ended up at the underground mall, utterly defeated. "I shouldn't be surprised," you lamented. "Of course everything would be packed on Christmas Eve..."

"I'm sorry," Akira said, "I should have made reservations."

"No, you've been busy with more important things. I would have made reservations if I'd known you were going to be available!" You looked around desperately for something to save the night. "Look, there's a stall for cake! We can try that, and then..." Go home? It was far too early for that. You wanted to spend more time with Akira. "Well, let's go check it out first," you finally said. You approached the stall together and spoke up. "Excuse me! Do you have any Christmas cake left?"

The stall manager looked up from a list she'd been writing in with a courteous smile. "I'm sorry, we only made those on order."

You still didn't want to give up. "Um... do you have any cake at all?"

"I'm afraid we're sold out for the night."

"I see..." you sighed. "Thank you anyway."

"Merry Christmas!" the stall manager called unhelpfully as you walked away.

"Now what? We've completely run out of options..."

The two of you thought for a moment, and then Akira spoke up. "Does it have to be cake?" he offered.

"Well, traditionally..." Then the meaning of his words hit you. "But since when did we care about tradition? You're right!" You grasped his hand tightly. "Let's just pick up some candy bars and head back to your place. Sound good?"

Akira smiled. You were glad to be able to read him so well.

* * *

"Okay," you admitted, "It's not cake. But it's a king-sized bar! That's enough of a treat for me." 

The two of you had quickly purchased two candy bars at the supermarket in Yongen-Jaya (since the 777 at Shibuya was packed) and headed back to Akira's room to warm up. You sat close to him on the couch as the two of you finished off your treats.

Akira managed to lean in even closer. "The real treat is spending this time with you," he said softly. 

Your face, as expected, erupted into a deep blush. "Come on, you're always like that..." You were able to recover somewhat quickly; you were getting adjusted to his habit of catching you off-guard. "But I guess you're right; it certainly is a miracle that we could be together on Christmas Eve." That was what made you remember. "Oh, right! I got you something!" you exclaimed as you reached into your bag. You pulled out a flashy glasses case, made with patterns of black and red leather. "I know they're not real glasses, but it's still a good idea to take care of them, so..." He took it from your hand and inspected it. "Do you like it...?" 

He turned to you with a smile. "I love it." But something in his eyes said otherwise. The burden on his shoulders still laid heavy. 

"Akira? Is something wrong?" 

He turned away from you, but suddenly became alert. "Look!" He grabbed your hand and brought you to the window. The snow that had drifted down with ease before was now falling turbulently. 

"Wow, I guess we got inside just in time," you noted. You sat on the bed together to watch the snow fall. Akira wrapped his arm around you to pull you close. 

"I want to enjoy the time we have together," he said softly. He was gripping your shoulder. Something was definitely wrong. 

"Akira, I know something's on your mind. What is it? Is it something to do with the Phantom Thieves?" 

He grimaced. "No... it's fine." 

"I don't understand," you pleaded. "Why can't you ever tell me what's happening? I know what you're doing is important, but I need to know what's happening to you..." You thought back to going weeks without meeting, days without contact, and little explanation of the danger he was putting himself in. And the worst offense of all. "I saw on the news that you'd killed yourself, and you hadn't even texted me to say that you were okay... I'm sick of always being in the dark, Akira. You can't keep neglecting me like this!" He wouldn't look at you anymore. He stared at the falling snow, his face expressionless. "... I'll ask you one more time," you whispered. "What's wrong?" 

After a moment, Akira looked down. "I'm sorry." 

You felt your heart sink as you stared at him in despair. "... Fine," you said as you stood up. "I'm not interested in being shoved to the sidelines. I'm going home by myself." You started to walk away, but stopped. He was standing behind you, doing nothing to stop you. Was he waiting for something? A part of you wanted to beg more for one unmistakable reason. "I'll still love you," you admitted, "but I need you to be more open with me." 

You left and walked home by yourself from LeBlanc for the first time since meeting him. Your first fight had been on Christmas Eve.


	19. Journey Arcana, Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so here's what i decided: keep everything as is but blend akira getting jailed and released with the valentine's day date, and add an extra chapter for the ~spice~. only two chapters left after that!

Christmas morning arrived and found you alone.

You woke up feeling lonelier than ever and horrible about what had happened last night with Akira. It felt like you'd ruined your first Christmas Eve together, and guilt gripped you like a vice. You tried not to dwell on it as you prepared for your holiday shift at the theater, but you couldn't help it. Eventually, you made up your mind to apologize to him. You took out your phone and sent him a short text.

_I'm sorry about last night. Let's meet up to talk. I'll be available this evening."_

But he never replied. You checked your phone often and never received anything. It wasn't like him to flat-out ignore you, especially for something important. When you finally got off work, you realized what had happened; the text had never sent. You tried again, but it failed almost immediately. What was going on? Had you ruined everything? Determined not to give up so easily, you decided to ask Ann if he had said anything. Surprisingly, when you opened your chat with her, she was already typing. You impatiently waited for her to finish, even as the bad feeling in the pit of your stomach grew worse.

 _Is now a good time to call?_ she finally sent. You affirmed and instantly got a call from her. Your hand shook as you picked it up.

"We need your help," Ann said urgently.

Your entire body tensed. "Is Akira okay?"

"Uh... he got arrested," she admitted.

"What?!" Dozens of possible scenarios ran through your mind.

"He turned himself in as our leader. He had to so he could testify against Shido. It was the only way to convict him for his crimes. And since he already had a criminal record..."

"You're kidding me..."

"I wish I was. He's been imprisoned." Your knees felt weak. They could've buckled any second. Simple denials drifted past your lips into the phone's receiver. "I know you're shocked, but I need you to pay attention to what I'm gonna say next, okay?"

You could hardly hear her for shock. "Sure..."

"If we can clear his name, we may be able to overturn his sentence! We have to find the woman who testified against him. We'll give you all the information we have; we just need you to spread the word."

"What? I'm sorry, this is just all so much..."

"Yeah, I guess it is... we were all shocked at first, too."

"I just... spread the word how?"

"You've got a social group or network of some kind, right? Just talk to them and see what you can do."

"A social group...?" You had an idea. "Got it. I'll keep you posted."

"Thanks! We're counting on you!" The call ended and you rushed back into the theater to beg your boss for an announcement. Sure enough, a week later, you stood in the break room as other employees watched you with blank stares.

"And that's why we need to start posting advertisements to find this witness!" Your passionate speech was met with disinterested silence. Rage bubbled inside you. "Come on! He brought so many customers to us; we may even be able to get more with this! But if it takes money to convince you to get an innocent boy out of jail, then can you really call yourselves human?!" Some of the more energetic staff bristled at that comment, and the managers perked up at the mention of more customers. An agreement was reached; a slide calling for people to find the woman would be shown periodically with other advertisements before movies, as well as posters inside and around the movie theater. It wasn't much, but you'd done your part.

And then they found her.

It wasn't clear through which of the many search parties she'd been located, but she was finally connected to the remaining Phantom Thieves. They organized for her to testify to Akira's innocence, and it was enough. Hearing the news that Akira was allowed to go free made your heart soar. A bit selfishly, you celebrated that Valentine's Day hadn't been stolen from you.

You concocted a plan to make it extra special.

* * *

You wanted to see Akira the day he was released, but you knew it was important for him to see his friends. Besides, you had a new adventure to accomplish; making chocolate for the first time. Given your limited tools and experience, you tackled the challenge with extreme difficulty and predictably failed. "Fine," you declared to no one, "I need help." 

You hadn't spoken to your mom much over the past year. She hadn't been happy about you moving to the city without a "good" reason, not to mention you'd just been too busy or too tired to deal with it once your landlord began scamming you. You hated having to ask for her help, but this was too important. You stared at your phone's call button, debating whether or not to ask if it was a good time. "... Maybe I can just find an easier recipe," you said dismissively as you moved to put your phone away. In doing so, you accidentally pressed call. Your entire body stiffened, but you were able to stop yourself from shouting. You set the phone down on the counter and anxiously waited for your mom's response. 

She picked up rather quickly, her face already looking annoyed, until she gave your stained clothes a once-over. "Dear God," she swore, "I was thinking you'd only call like this for an emergency, and I suppose I was right. What in the world happened?" 

"Hi, Mom," you said in a shaky voice. "Um... I'm trying to make chocolate. For a friend!" you lied. 

Your mom wrinkled your nose. "It's not hard to make simple chocolates like that. Wouldn't you rather find a simpler recipe?" 

"Um..." 

She gave you a knowing smile. "It's for a boy, isn't it?" You couldn't even lie; your blush gave it away. "Why didn't you just say so?" 

"Having a boyfriend... isn't really the adventure I was looking for..." 

"I know, honey. But nothing is more thrilling for a girl than falling in love." She still didn't quite get it, but you supposed your mom was trying to encourage you in her own way. "I'm really happy for you. Come on, do you still have enough ingredients for a second try? I'll help you, but let's keep this a secret from Dad." 

You smiled. Maybe things could be worked out with your mom after all. You slaved the afternoon away, carefully following your mother's instructions and advice. During that time, you were able to catch up a lot and (mostly) keep the peace. It was... nice.By the end, she had helped you create and carve an elaborate gourmet chocolate. "Mom, this is incredible!" 

"I used to make something similar for your father every year. I perfected the technique just a few months before he proposed to me." 

"I didn't know that..." 

"Well, it's a little embarrassing to talk about," she lied modestly. "Now, sweetheart, I do have one thing to say to you since I'm your mother, whether it applies or not." 

"What is it?" 

"Use protection." 

Your face bloomed red as your eyes darted to the _almost_ empty shopping bag on the counter. "Whoops, better go wrap and chill the chocolate, thanks mom bye!" You hung up on the sound of her laughter. _Nevermind about getting along._

* * *

It was late at night. You shivered outside the door to LeBlanc, your gift-wrapped chocolate tucked away safely in your pocket, along with another box. Steeling your resolve, you entered the shop, the door's bell announcing your presence. Akira was in his work uniform, washing dishes at the sink while Sakura wiped off the counter. Blood rushed to your face as you realized you were early. "Oh, um... I'm not interrupting, am I...?"i'll 

Akira quickly dried his hands and approached you with that easy smile of his as Sakura glanced between the two of you. "Ohhh," he laughed with a knowing grin, "You should've just told me. Here, I'll leave the store to you." As Sakura approached the door, he directed his smirk to you. "Enjoy yourselves." A chill ran down your spine. Was he joking? You tensed when you saw _that cat_ , but relaxed as you noticed he was leaving with Sakura. Just walking next to him! What a weird cat. At least you had the night to yourselves. 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have barged in..." 

Akira waved. "It's fine. Want some coffee?" 

You shivered again. "That would be great, thanks." You tried to make yourself comfortable at one of the booths as Akira brewed coffee for the both of you. You had a lot to say, and a pretty serious request, so having to wait even more was near torturous. As you were lost in thought, Akira suddenly set a cup down on the table. You thanked him and sipped lightly at the warm beverage. Your shivers calmed, as well as your nerves. He sat across from you and you tried to start a natural conversation. "I can't believe I haven't seen you for two months," you confessed. "I really missed you." 

"I missed you too," he said as he cocked a brow, almost like he didn't believe you. You felt a pang in your chest. 

"Look... I wanted to apologize on Christmas. For how I acted the last time we saw each other. I should have trusted you. But by then, you were already..." You shook your head, taking another sip of coffee. "The point is, I'm sorry." 

Akira looked down and was quiet for a moment. "I didn't want to worry you," he confessed. 

"That didn't really work out," you admitted with a laugh. "From now on, let's just... be honest with each other, okay?" 

"Agreed," he said with an easy smile. Your heart lifted. That was so easy to resolve! Now for the fun part. 

"Okay! So, obviously you know what today is." You pulled out your box and slid it across the table for him. "I worked all day on it yesterday. I even had to call my mother for help... so I hope you like it." 

He grasped the chocolate in his hand. "Thank you," he said sincerely, but his smile dropped into a smirk. "Don't worry I can cook for us." 

You raised a brow. "What do you..." The implications of his words finally hit you. "Ack!" Cook for _both of you!_ Was he thinking about getting married. "L-Look, that'll all come in due time, okay?" He laughed at your flustered scrambling. Your heart was racing, and you realized you'd not only gotten familiar with that sensation; you'd missed it while he was gone. You'd missed him so much. You sighed. "Okay, scoot over." You abandoned your coffee to sit next to him. "I just hate being apart from you, I think... You're always embarrassing me and getting on my nerves, but... I really missed it. It makes my heart race even more than when I'm doing parkour." You smiled at him, reminiscing at your memories. "You gave me so many adventures, Akira. Thank you." 

His simple response caught you off guard. "I love you," he whispered. 

You blushed. "I..." Blushed? Caught off guard? Why still react that way after so much time together? You smiled honestly. "I love you too." You had never seen him smile so brilliantly. Falling in love definitely was an adventure. So would be the next part of tonight. Gathering your courage, you let your head rest on his shoulder. "So... I didn't just come here to give you chocolate, you know... you better treasure my next gift, too." 

Akira looked confused before his eyes widened. 

" _Oh._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to clarify: i acknowledge that the protagonist's mom is being a lil sexist. boomers be boomin don't @ me. anyway who's up for smut?


	20. Journey Arcana, Loading Screen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i could write paragraphs of commentary about this one damn chapter but it's already so long. have fun lol

The coffee was probably cold by now. It had been left behind downstairs. After Akira had understood what you wanted, he immediately led you up to his bedroom. Now you sat on the edge of his mattress, carefully holding each other. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly. 

You nodded. "I want this. It has to be you," you insisted. "I've never laughed or cried or had my heart race so much with anyone else... the person who's given me the best adventure deserves it."

He shook his head. "Do _you_ want it?" 

What he meant started to click. Originally you had planned this as a way to make up for fighting, but looking at him now, seeing the way he was looking at you, how uncomfortable he looked in his clothes, and remembering what it felt like when he touched you... "Yes," you found yourself saying, your voice hardly above a breath. 

Akira nodded. He took off his glasses and set them down on the bedside table. He leaned in close, his knuckles brushing against your cheek as he murmured your name. You could feel his breath on your skin raising goosebumps. You shivered. _Yes, I so want this._

He kissed you, but differently than usual. It was closer to kissing him on the beach in Hawaii. He sucked on your lip almost as if he meant to swallow it. He expressed his yearning in the way he suddenly grasped your shoulders. You'd awakened a familiar beast, and you embraced it; welcomed it home. You'd already become each other's true home. 

He began pushing against you, letting you slowly fall back onto the bed. The cheap springs creaked underneath your weight, but you didn't care. You just wanted to savor this. He propped himself up by his knees so you wouldn't feel the brunt of his body weight; at least not yet. He was still kissing you deeply, threading his fingers through your hair as if appraising fine silk. Your body shuddered involuntarily; you'd never been touched so gently and longingly before. But you longed for him as well, and you wrapped your arms around him to pull him closer. Now he was laying on top of you, and it was pure bliss to feel his body pressed into yours. You wrapped one of his curls around your finger, eliciting a soft moan of pleasure. You felt a bit of pride at your accomplishment and decided you wanted to take more initiative. Daringly, your hand drifted down his back to his ass before squeezing it gently. You noticed how firm it was and realized you'd never let yourself examine him in that way before. You squeezed again, but he suddenly grabbed your wrist and pinned it to the mattress next to your head. 

"Naughty," he whispered. You would have protested, but squeaked instead as he began to kiss your neck. The previously untouched skin was extremely sensitive, and you couldn't hold back your own soft moans of pleasure. He searched for its most sensitive patches and began to cruelly suck, teasing you with occasional nips at your neck. You realized you especially enjoyed it when he bit you. Your shyness was falling away by the minute as you realized that this first experience was also an adventure. You were eager to enjoy it. 

"Harder," you dared to whisper. Akira looked up at you, his brow raised but his lips curled in rapture. He bit down hard on your neck, and you moaned without restraint from surprise. He moaned right back, adding a new element to the already intense mix. He pressed his hips into yours, over and over, and you quickly became aware as to why. He was satisfying himself by grinding against you. He was using your body, and it excited you. You moved your hips back against his without hesitation. 

"I've never seen you this bold before," Akira whispered, his voice dripping with his desire for your body. But the comment made you feel self-conscious. 

"To be honest, I feel like I should be more reserved, but..." You steeled yourself. "But I don't want to." 

Akira grinned impishly. "Good. Drink your fill of me, my brave heart." 

_Oh, I intend to._

Akira sat up, shrugging off his jacket. You rushed to do the same, even as he reached to do it himself. "Let me get your shirt," he insisted. That idea suddenly embarrassed you more, but you complied. The bastard took his time, however, slowly pulling your sweater up over your head. He'd seen you in a bikini before, but letting him see your lacy white bra was different. Your cheeks flushed red, and Akira smirked. "Suddenly shy again?" 

That did it. You sat up and reached for the hem of his shirt, pulling it off even as he laughed. "Shut up," you grumbled, effectively silencing him with a hungry kiss. You pushed him down and climbed on top of his lap, straddling him as you flung your arms around his neck. He leaned back, pressing his hand against the back of your head to deepen the kiss. You rolled your body a few times, internally celebrating as he moaned. He returned by attempting to unclip your bra, finding an excuse to look over your shoulder by kissing your neck again. Cheating, but you didn't mind, at least until your bra slipped from your shoulders onto your lap. Your breasts were exposed to him now, and _that_ was definitely new. You distracted yourself by touching his bare chest. You hadn't done this since Hawaii, and his body tensed at the contact before relaxing. He looked at you with even eyes, silently asking permission. Refraining from letting yourself think about it, you nodded, your own eyes on his large hand. He lifted it and gently cupped your breast. You shivered; your nerves lit up like never before. Being touched by him brought you to life. You relaxed and smiled at him. Then suddenly his face was in your chest, kissing your breast bone and your actual breast. Your skin quivered in response and tension rose in your body as his lips neared your nipple. They finally reached it, and you moaned out as he sucked on it. You held him close to you, wanting more and more of him, so he satisfied the other breast by pressing his hand into it. On he continued for a few minutes, showing you just how sensitive your breasts could be, far beyond anything you'd accomplished yourself. Finally you had enough; you were losing your mind, and you pulled his hand away. He look up at you, assessing your consent. You were breathing heavily. "I-I'm not stopping, let's just... take a small break."

You leaned forward and rested your head against his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around you. "Am I doing okay?" you whispered. 

"You're amazing," he breathed into your hair. He began to dot your head with kisses, making you laugh softly. "Am I scaring you?" 

"No... I'm just... new. But I want this." 

"Good. I can't hold back anymore." His voice was low again; husky with lust. You blushed at the seductive words, but you realized he wasn't kidding. You tentatively reached out and palmed between his legs; he groaned in response. Something _very hard_ pressed against your hand from beneath his trousers. "Break over, then?" he asked in a shaky voice. 

You shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "It would be cruel to keep you restrained like that... it looks like it hurts," you teased. 

"It does," he said to your surprise before getting up on his knees and unbuttoning his pants. He noticed your wide-eyed expression and stopped. "I'm getting ahead of myself." 

"No, no... you can keep going." 

He grinned. "Yeah? Then be sure to watch." Your cheeks flushed red again, staring at his handiwork. He slipped out of his trousers and tossed them to the floor. His erection was definitely more visible beneath his boxer briefs, but you still couldn't tell the size. It didn't matter, of course, only that you wanted to know everything about him. But you'd already stared at him for so long; if you didn't do something soon he would tease you. 

Just as he opened his mouth to make a typical snide remark, you also unfastened your pants and dropped them off the bed. He was staring at _you_ now, and while you were embarrassed, a part of you enjoyed the attention. You adored that you were occupying all of his mind. "Like what you see?" you teased. 

Akira rolled his eyes. "You win this one," he admitted, rewarding you (or consoling himself) by burying his face in your breasts again. You scoffed mockingly, as if it bothered you anymore. 

"Get back, fiend!" you declared as you pushed him onto his back, laughing with him. Even though this should have been one of the most nerve-wracking moments of your life, he made you too happy. You smiled at him, drinking courage from his eyes. "I... should probably help you out with _that_ ," you whispered pointedly. 

"Please," he said. That was all you needed. You slid down his body, carefully slipping your fingers beneath the elastic of his underwear. He raised his slender hips to allow you to remove it and it joined the pile of clothing on the floor. His member matched his lanky figure; not so big that you panicked over how it would fit, but enough to make you anticipate a bit of pain. Akira was watching you carefully; you knew he'd let you back out if you needed, but you refused to stand down. You ran a fingernail along his shaft, and he sucked his breath in through his teeth. "Just... just your finger." 

You pulled back sharply. "Sorry!" He cracked a grin, the bastard. Well, you could do him one better. A finger? Please. You wrapped your hand around his member, gently pumping it up and down. His eyes fell shut and he moaned as if he had just had a bite of the finest cuisine after fasting for months. Encouraged, you moved a little faster, but not too much; you feared hurting him again. It seemed to work, because he continued to moan and sigh with pleasure. You felt a surprising sense of pride at being able to make him feel so good. But your hand began to stick to his skin; if you kept going you'd hurt him. So, tentatively, you leaned down and ran your tongue along the back of his shaft. 

His entire body shivered and he moaned from deep in his chest. That was it. You continued to lick along his member before growing familiar enough to slip it into your mouth. You couldn't fit it very far in, but you did your best for him, using your tongue to make up for your small mouth. He showed his appreciation by raising his voice, clutching at the sheets and gritting his teeth. "God, that's good," he managed to moan. You giggled a little and he moaned again in response. As your head bobbed up and down. you began to taste small drops of something... salty. You realized it was semen already leaking out of his tip. It hadn't tasted the way you'd expected - you weren't sure _what_ you were expecting, you weren't prepared for this - but it was in trace enough amounts that you didn't mind. You worked hard at making him happy, but just as your jaw began to ache, he suddenly sat up. "Stop," he warned. 

You sat up as well, worried. "What? Did I hurt you?" 

"No, I... I'm getting close. I want to satisfy you first." 

The burning sensation returned to your face, but now lingered to another part of your body. You shuddered with nervousness and excitement. "Are you sure?" 

Akira grinned as he laid you down on the bed. "Don't ask dumb questions," he ordered softly. You shivered again as his fingers lovingly traced your curves. You stiffened once his fingertips reached your panties, but you didn't protest as he slowly pulled them off of you. Now there was nothing between the two of you. He was staring at your body now, so you closed your eyes. You'd never been naked in front of someone like this before; you suddenly felt exposed and ashamed of your body, at least until he said in a choked voice, "You're beautiful." You dared to open your eyes and saw that Akira's face was as red as yours; his Adam's apple quivered as he struggled to catch his breath. He was just as vulnerable as you. This was something that the two of you were experiencing together. Your shame falling away, you reached up and gently touched his cheek. He smiled at you before laying his body on top of yours, trailing kisses down your shoulder until he was sucking on your collarbone. He soon grew bored with that and moved lower, taking the opportunity to play with your breasts again. He began to kiss your chest, finally sucking on your nipple. You moaned out before you could stop yourself ahe bastard dared to chuckle even as your teat was between his lips. You stubbornly bit your own. No more moans for him. He refused to let you have your way, however, grabbing your other breast again and digging his fingers into it. You moaned between your teeth, and just like that, he had won. He busied himself with your breasts for a minute or so, rubbing in his victory, and then pulled away before sitting up and sliding further down your body. "Do you want me to...?" 

You nodded. "Yeah, um... it'll hurt if you don't, so..." A fraction of frustration poked its head into your mind; your body required a lot more preparation than his did. It wasn't really fair. 

But Akira simply nodded. "Right. You'll... have to help me a bit. Sorry." 

Well, you couldn't blame him for not knowing his way around female genitalia. Propping yourself up on your elbows, you gave him a quick lesson. "So this is the clit, right under the hood... and then under this fold of skin is... well, you know. Start by rubbing the clit, and then when you put your finger in, aim upwards a bit and curl it while you pull out. Does that help?" 

Akira watched carefully as you explained. "Got it. Thank you." He smiled an easy smile, completely oblivious to the awkwardness of the situation. Or maybe to him it wasn't awkward at all. After all, what's awkward about communicating with your partner for the best experience? You couldn't help that it was your first time. Bracing yourself, he began to rub at the spot you showed him, circling your clit with his fingertip. You bit your lip hard; this was _much_ better than your own bodily exploration. He experimented a bit, rubbing at different angles in different ways, and it occurred to you that his best indicator of his success would be your voice. Swallowing your embarrassment, you moaned whenever he did something that felt really good, and before long he was driving you wild. Your breath caught in your throat more than once as you panted, whimpering and moaning with previously unknown pleasure. 

Just as it was getting really good, however, he stopped. You opened your eyes - you'd closed them to focus on the amazing sensations - and looked up at him. "Why'd you..." Then you felt him prodding at your opening. _Oh._ This was it, then. You tried to relax as he carefully inserted his finger. Relaxing proved to be difficult; your rising nerves had made you close up again, which made it hurt. Seeing your discomfort, Akira pulled his finger away, using his other hand to rub your clit some more. That sensation was more familiar and helped to calm your nerves; you realized you'd been holding your breath and released it. As he played with your clit, he tried to insert his finger again, this time with success. He followed your advice; curling his finger in a come-hither motion, he soon found your G spot. You arched your back in pleasure as he rubbed it without stopping, a long and satisfied moan creeping from your throat. This was definitely _nothing_ like anything you'd done on your own... and then he put another finger in. You'd have screamed had you not bit harshly on your lip for how good it felt. Everything between your legs burned around his fingers; how could he move them so quickly? You reached for something to hold onto and found his wrist, so you grasped it tightly and attempted to anchor yourself to reality. Your head was swimming away from you; all that existed in the world was that searing heat and his presence looming over your pleasure-wracked body.

Akira murmured your name, bringing you back. "I can't hold back anymore... I need you." He slowly pulled his extremely wet finger out, leaning over to kiss you deeply. Lost in the moment, you pulled at his curls and kissed him back before finally remembering something extremely important. 

"Wait!" you exclaimed, jumping up and retrieving your coat. You reached into the pocket and pulled out a small box of condoms. "You're okay with using this, right?" 

Akira ran his hand through his hair, grimacing. "I should've thought of that. I didn't expect you to suddenly... I'll buy them next time." 

You smiled brightly. "Thank you. And, um..." You fidgeted as you opened the box. "This might sound kind of weird, but... just to start out... is it okay if I'm on top? It might be easier since it's my first time..." 

Akira's ears turned red as he swallowed. "P-Please," he said in a choked voice. 

You laughed, a little proud. "What's got you so flustered?" Taking out a condom and unwrapping it, you let Akira lay back on the cot as you straddled his legs and rolled the condom down over his erection. It twitched at your touch, which made you wonder how it would feel if he twitched inside you. Emboldened by the control you had, you raised your hips and touched your opening to the tip of his member. 

"Ready?" he asked. You only nodded. Burying your face in his neck, you slowly lowered your hips. You sucked your breath in harshly as his member pushed inside you; even as he moaned with pleasure he stroked your hair, trying to help you relax. You brought back to your mind how you'd felt mere moments ago; how he'd accomplished all of that just with his fingers. It helped calm your nerves enough to let your hips fall to his, your mouth open in a choked groan as your slit met the base of his shaft. Akira was shaking now, but he held you close. "You okay?" You nodded wordlessly and merely laid on top of him, giving yourself time to adjust to this new sensation. Akira brought your hand to his lips and kissed your knuckles over and over again. "I love you," he whispered into your skin, and the truth of the situation seeped in with his words. The two of you were connected now in a way that would last forever. That thought rocked your body like an earthquake as you let out a shaky breath; unable to stand it anymore you sat up and began to ride him. You felt his shaft force your nether regions to stretch for him as he placed his hands on your hips, staying still even as he softly moaned. You'd never known what it would feel like for something to reach so far inside you; you'd never owned any toys able to get the job done. What you hadn't anticipated was that your clit would rub against his shaft from this angle, stimulating you in two places at once. It felt wildly good, even through your apprehension. Once you'd gotten used to the new sensations, you realized how difficult it was to move slowly, so you dove right into it and began bouncing on his hips, and _oh._ The momentum drove him even further inside you; he closed his eyes and moaned through his teeth as his grasp on your hips tightened. You were moaning again as well, gasping every time your hips fell to his. Your hands caressed his body, tracing his ribs and rubbing his chest and his waist. He shivered under your playful fingers. "Handsy," he noted, reaching up and grabbing your breast. He gripped it savagely, making you throw your head back in pleasure. You moaned out, trying to lift your hips up higher with every bounce. You couldn't get enough of him. Echoing your sentiments, Akira began trying to thrust deeper into you, but couldn't match your rhythm and dulled the sensation.

"Screw this," he hissed before sitting up suddenly, pulling out. You barely had time to gasp from the deep loss of him before he pushed you down in his place, moving between your legs. "Is this okay?" 

You didn't care; you just wanted him inside you again. "Please," you breathed. With an eager grin, Akira coaxed his shaft inside you once more. You tilted your head back, sighing in pleasure. "You're amazing, Akira," you breathed out. He merely chuckled, pinning your wrists to the mattress before thrusting into you over and over. He panted with the effort, but you couldn't stop whimpering and groaning. This was wildly different from when you were riding him, and you much preferred this method. Akira swore under his breath, releasing your wrists to instead lay down on top of you and hold you close, allowing him to thrust even faster into your pussy. "Yes, yes!" you cried, wrapping your arms tightly around him. You kissed his shoulder, his neck, anything you could reach as you held him close to you. 

"You're so sexy," he groaned, his voice catching in his throat. His lips crashed against yours as he ravaged your body like he'd been craving you his entire life. You just wanted more of him; even though you'd never been so close before, you wanted to be closer. You wanted him to devour you. You wrapped your legs around his waist, locking his hips to yours and driving him further inside you. He moaned your name so loudly he almost shouted, but you were definitely more vocal. You cried out in pleasure, not even trying to quiet yourself. It felt too good to worry about things like shame anymore. All of your senses were melting together and that burning between your legs was back. Conscious thought had long departed from you; you were consumed with desire. Everything was dark except for his warmth all over your body. You were so close. Akira was moving faster, thrusting deeper, saying your name over and over between breaths. "I-I'm gonna cum," he suddenly warned between gritted teeth, even as he desperately held you close with no sign of stopping. 

"M-Me too," you admitted, curling your toes and digging your fingernails into his back. "Oh please, come on...!" And then it happened. You choked on your own gasp of pleasure, barely breathing as you peaked. The darkness you'd felt before had been replaced with a brilliant light, every muscle in your body tensing. You were vaguely aware of Akira's climax; he shouted his final groan not long after yours. It was his member throbbing against your walls that slowly brought you back; everything was more sensitive than it had ever been. Feeling it pulse inside you was more heavenly than you could have imagined. You were tightly gripping on to each other and panting like dogs. Your bodies were stuck together, slick with the sweat of your efforts. Slowly, his member stopped throbbing and became a numb presence within you. It was over. You'd given each other your everything. As you relaxed, you removed your fingernails from his skin and Akira gratefully pressed lazy kisses into the nape of your neck. Even now it tickled - or maybe it tickled especially now. Your body ached with his weight, but you weren't ready for how empty you'd feel once he pulled away, so you weakly held him to your body. 

"N-Need to... clean up," he murmured, trying to pull away nonetheless. 

"Don't go," you pleaded, summoning the last of your strength to keep him close. Already you felt so cold without him. 

Akira chuckled, gently kissing your lips. "I have to throw it away," he said, and you reluctantly let him go. He stood and pulled off the soiled condom, tossing it in a nearby wastebasket before returning to your side. "Scooch," he ordered, getting under the covers before pulling you close to lay on his chest. He made sure you were covered too and finished the job with a gentle kiss to your forehead. You looked up at him as if the two of you were completely different people; you'd shared something that could never be taken back, after all. You had let him discover a sacred secret within you that you would never be able to give in the same way again. The proof was how sore you were beginning to feel; you'd never physically felt his absence like this before, even as your slit shrank back to its regular size. His dark hair was plastered to his face; he'd stopped breathing heavily, but you could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Even his smile was different; kinder and dearer than it had ever been. The dazzling confidence in his eyes shone at you like it always had, but this time without glasses to interrupt his gaze. Gone was the devilish boy who loved to toy with you; in his place completely laid bare before you was the one-hundred percent authentic and sincere Akira Kurusu that you had come to love. And it was the most beautiful thing you'd ever seen. 

"I will never forget this," you breathed. "I will always love you." 

Akira chuckled, pulling you closer. "Bold words." 

"I mean it!" you protested, which caused him to laugh out loud. You pouted, idly tracing circles on his chest with your finger. "Seriously... No matter what happens in the future, Akira, I don't want anyone else... just you." 

He leaned down and kissed you again, softly, like he thought he might break you now. "I love you too," he whispered. "I won't ever let you go again. You are mine... and I am yours." 

The two of you talked about nothing and everything until you fell asleep, nestled close together with nothing to come between you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and with that, this fanfic is officially rated mature and the eventual smut is here. hope you enjoyed it


	21. Journey Arcana, White Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter is the last!

The morning of February 15th, you awoke in Akira's arms, just as the sky was greying in anticipation of sunrise. Looking up, you enjoyed a rare sight - did he always look so peaceful in his sleep? You smiled and fantasized about seeing his sleeping face every morning someday. In the warm memory of last night, it didn't seem so impossible or far away. As you watched him, Akira's eyes slowly opened. He blinked and turned his head to look at you. He looked absolutely enraptured.

"Good morning," you whispered delightedly.

Akira didn't answer. He reached over and brushed your hair from your face, his fingers trailing down the nape of your neck. You shivered, closing your eyes to enjoy the sensation. "You're glowing," he murmured in a raspy voice.

"Hmm..." you mumbled back. "I guess that happens when a girl becomes a woman..." Akira rolled his eyes and kissed you, even as you giggled at yourself.

Akira sat up, fumbling for his glasses. "Time..."

You reached across and gave him his glasses before unlocking his phone to read the time. "It's just after seven."

Akira groaned. "Sojiro'll be here soon to open the cafe..."

Crap. "I guess I should get out of here, then."

Akira suddenly threw his arms around you, burying his face in your shoulder. "He'll understand," he reasoned."

You laughed; he could be so selfish sometimes. "I'd like to keep my pride, please." Akira reluctantly let you go. You stood up, your legs feeling weak. "Whoa..."

"Are you okay?"

"A little off-balance, I guess. Nothing I can't handle." Walking tentatively, you retrieved your discarded clothes and donned them. Akira reluctantly followed suit."

"At least let me take you home."

You rolled your eyes. "Fine." In truth, you were hoping for a little more time with him too. The walk was brief and quiet, but the goodbye kiss he gave you had never been so tender. He didn't leave until you were safe inside your apartment.

* * *

You and Akira continued to have regular dates and late-night rendezvous. You learned that after Christmas, the Metaverse had been destroyed and the Phantom Thieves had officially disbanded. No more danger, no more weeks without contact, no more secrets. The following month was pure bliss, aside from the nagging knowledge that your time together would soon come to an end. Now that Akira's name had been cleared, there was no reason for him to continue going to a school like Shujin, so he was coming back home to live with his parents. You got the feeling that he wasn't too keen on the idea of going home, so you did your best to make his remaining time in Tokyo memorable, along with making your own plans. Finally, March 14th arrived. White Day.

You'd taken the day off, but you also didn't expect him to contact you. He'd mentioned no plans in the days leading up to it, so you assumed he just forgot. That was fine. Maybe tomorrow you could have a cozy dinner at LeBlanc. Then your phone rang and all of your excuses flew out of your mind as you scrambled to answer the phone. 

"Hello?" 

"Come to the aquarium at Shinagawa," was his curt response." 

"Right now?" 

"Yes." 

You laughed. "Alright, I guess I'll get ready and head over. I'll see you there." You said your goodbyes and hung up. That guy was full of surprises. Your heart fluttered as you prepared to leave. 

The aquarium was beautiful. All of the guests were filled with quiet wonder, observing the many different kinds of fish. Bathed in the blue glow of the tanks, you pressed your nose against the glass and gasped. "Akira, I've never seen a fish like that before! Where is it from?" 

Akira took a look at the plaque next to the tank. "The Pacific," he read aloud. 

"Maybe if we went on a boat we could find one!" you laughed. "Maybe after I master parkour. They say there's a lot we don't know about the ocean, after all!" You turned to Akira. "This place is _wild_. Thanks for taking me here for White Day... that is, if this really is for White Day." 

"Of course it is," Akira said with a smirk. 

You rolled your eyes. "I really thought we'd moved past the smugness." 

"Of course not." 

"You're lucky I love you," you jokingly threatened. You continued to go through the various exhibits, but then a voice on the intercom announced that the facility would be closing soon, calling for everyone to head for the exits. You frowned. "Over already?" 

"One more stop," Akira commented. 

"What? You mean you had something else planned?" You smiled brightly. "You are such an amazing boyfriend. I feel like I'm following a treasure map." Akira grinned proudly. "Okay, let's go!" 

Following the treasure map (more like letting Akira lead you to it) resulted in you standing in bewilderment before the entrance of a fancy restaurant located at the top of a skyscraper. Stunned into silence, Akira led you to the host's podium, where he claimed his reservation - reservation! - and allowed the host to lead the two of you to your table. Once you sat down, you finally recovered from your shock. "Akira, how did you manage this?" you whispered harshly. 

He only shrugged. "Phone call." 

"This is not the time to be sarcastic!" You sighed, and looked around. "I feel so out of place. If I had known we were going to such a nice restaurant, I would have tried to dress up more..." 

Akira reached over and took your hand in his. "Then focus on me." 

Following his direction, you studied him. The same casual blazer, the same enormous glasses, the same shaggy hair. Akira was his regular cool self. More importantly. he was familiar. You felt yourself relax. "You're right," you assented. "This is... actually a really nice surprise. Thank you so much." You laughed. "I feel so mature sitting here with you! When we actually grow up, let's go to more places like this." 

"I'd love that," Akira said with a smile. 

"You mean it?" you asked hopefully. Taking a deep breath, you decided now was the right moment to tell him. "I've... been thinking a lot. I know you're going home soon, but if it's okay with you... um, I kind of made plans to come with." His eyes widened and his back straightened just a bit. "I'm sorry, I know I should have talked it over with you, but the lease on my apartment is almost up, and I just wanted to let you enjoy your time here before you had to come back... And my parents are on board with it, don't worry! Mom thinks I'm getting ready to settle down after high school. She still doesn't know about the parkour, but I plan to take full advantage of it! Haha... but... mostly, I just don't want this particular adventure to end. The one I'm on as your girlfriend. Is that... okay...?" 

Akira smiled brightly as he grasped your hand, leaning down to kiss it. "Neither do I. Please come with me." 

You beamed back at him, but just as you were about to answer him, your phone rang. You checked the caller and sighed. "Sorry, it's my new landlord. I have to take this; I'll be right back." You left to stand outside the bathrooms. The landlord, an elderly woman, simply wanted to confirm your move-in date. You gave her the answer and made your way back. "Sorry about that. I told you I'd be quick!" You smiled and sat back down next to him. 

Shortly after, someone spoke into a microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us on this special day. We wish you all an unforgettable evening, with one last finishing touch from us..." 

You clasped your hands together in excitement. "Another surprise? I can't wait!" Suddenly, the curtains surrounding the restaurant were raised, revealing the stunning Tokyo skyline. The violet glow of the city matched the darkening sky, with Tokyo Tower serving as the view's centerpiece. You gasped. "I've never seen the city from so high up before! This is... it's absolutely amazing!" 

"I have a gift for you," Akira said with a grin. He reached down and pulled out an elegant bouquet of roses before carefully handing it to you. 

You glanced between him and the flowers, feeling light-headed from joy. "Are you serious? This is almost too much! You're just... the best, Akira." You accepted the bouquet, holding it close to you. "This has been one of the most amazing nights of my entire life. I've never been taken on such a ride before!" 

Akira's grin widened. "Surprise," he teased. 

You scoffed. "Can't we just have one sincere moment? I'm trying to show you my gratitude!" Akira laughed. This was way too much fun for him... but you were having the time of your life as well. "Thank you, Akira. Ever since I met you, you've been taking me on adventure after adventure... you've made my dreams come true in ways I never expected. And you gave me the power to keep making my dreams come true... I don't think I'll ever repay you, but it's a quest I'm more than happy to take on!" 

Akira leaned in close and kissed your cheek. "We're going to have lots of adventures together," he promised." 

You smiled a radiant and confident smile. "I can't wait." 

The night flew by after that. You ordered, had the most delicious food you'd ever experienced, and then he took you home like he always did. Though you would part soon, it wouldn't be for long at all. Imagining the various things you'd do together in the future gave you more than enough to look forward to.


	22. Journey Arcana, Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies for the really short last chapter. not much really happens during the goodbye event. i tried to add to it tho, so i hope you like it! remember to read the end notes!

On the 19th of March, movers arrived to help you move your things. Packing everything except his present in time had been difficult, but by this time tomorrow you'd be around to welcome Akira home. It was a relief that your parting would only be temporary; you couldn't imagine being away from him for too long.

Once you finished loading everything into the truck, you and the movers decided to take a break before hitting the road. As you took a seat on the stairs, you pulled out your phone and shot a quick text to Akira.

 _Hey! The movers and I are taking a break. If you wanna meet up before I go, now's a good time!_ While you waited for him to respond, your landlord unexpectedly arrived from his house next to the complex. He was carrying a tray of tea; enough for you and the movers. "I thought you all might be thirsty."

"Igarashi-san!" you exclaimed. "You didn't have to do that..."

"Consider it a sendoff," he said dismissively, "and my final apology. I wasn't exactly... professional the first time."

"Well... thank you." You and the movers graciously accepted the warm tea, and Igarashi took his seat next to you on the stairs.

"So what made you choose that little town all the way in the country? Big leap from the city."

"Oh, uh..." You fidgeted with your cup. "Just... thought it would be fun." You took a sip of tea.

He nodded wisely. "Of course it has nothing to do with that boy who always walks you home." You inhaled the tea as you gasped, choking and coughing desperately to recover. To his credit, Igarashi didn't laugh, but he didn't hide the smug look on his face. "I do live right next door. He takes good care of you, that boy. A real gentleman. I can see why you'd move for him."

You finally cleared your throat and looked at the man who had terrorized you with demands for money just a few months ago and simply replied, "You have no idea."

He laughed. "I'm sure I don't. Enjoy your youth, young lady, and surround yourself with people who care for you. Leave no room for regrets." Once everyone had finished drinking tea, he gathered the cups and left.

A few moments later, Akira finally showed up. You stood up and ran to greet him. "I'm so glad you're here! You didn't text me back..."

He shrugged. "Surprise," he said with a grin.

You rolled your eyes. "You're insufferable. You better not complain if I drop in on you once I move in! And... by that I mean, like, actually climbing through your window." He laughed out loud at that, his shoulders shaking and jostling his bag. His bag jostled back, and Morgana popped out of it to complain. Akira had told you he could talk, but you only heard whiny meowing. "... You're bringing the cat with you."

"He wanted to come."

You sighed. "Well, I guess it's thanks to this cat that we met, anyway. You two made it really hard for me to do my job at that theater, you know. And they're pretty upset about losing me to you, so Morgana better give us as much privacy as we want."

"He will," Akira casually promised, shoving Morgana back into his bag as he mewed in protest. You couldn't help but laugh with him.

A moment of quiet passed before you spoke again. "I really am grateful to have met you, Akira. You saved me and helped me pursue my dream, and when it failed me, you gave me two new dreams. But I don't want to lean on you for everything... so I'm not going to hesitate anymore. My life will be crazy and adventurous, and I'll face any challenge that gets in my way. All I need is for you to stay by my side..."

"I'll always be next to you," he whispered with a smile.

"Then we'll support each other and walk bravely forward." You got lost in his eyes before remembering yourself. "Um, I guess this is a good time to give you this..." You handed him a battered piece of paper; your treasure map. "I found it while I was packing up; I've had it since I was a kid. It's not real, but it kept me focused while I was fighting with my parents to move out here. But I want to look forward with my own two eyes, so... maybe it can help you now."

Akira accepted it with wonder. "Thank you." He carefully folded the map and placed it in his bag.

Just then, one of the movers suddenly called to you. "We're about ready to go, miss!"

"Coming!" you called. Turning back to Akira, you said, "This is only a temporary goodbye. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Before he could respond, you kissed his cheek and ran to the truck. He was still blushing and watching you, even after you drove off.

Finally, _finally,_ you were the one to make him flustered.

* * *

They weren't going straight to his house. They had decided to have Akira take them on a grand tour of his hometown. You were able to find the intersection where you'd be picked up. You'd hoped for a more intimate reunion, but at least you'd get to see him. Besides, you liked his friends. Takamaki and Niijima in particular had always been nice to you, but the others were friendly enough while you worked together to clear his name. Lost in memory, you heard a loud beep coming from down the road. A light-blue minibus was approaching, and you recognized the people inside. You smiled and waved, approaching the curb as the minibus slowed in front of you. The door opened and Akira stepped out with open arms. You jumped eagerly into his embrace. "Welcome home!" you exclaimed. 

"I'm back," he whispered into your hair. 

You looked up and finally noticed something missing. "Where are your glasses?" 

"Oh..." He shrugged. "Guess I don't need them anymore." 

You smiled brightly at him. "I like seeing your eyes." 

"Come _on_ , lovebirds, we have a tour to go on!" 

"I'll get in back so you have room," a guy with blue hair offered. Akira introduced him as Yusuke Kitagawa. You piled into the minibus and let Akira direct Niijima on where to go. 

While she drove, he nudged you. "Lemme show you something." He reached above him to open the skylight. Standing on the seat, he reached down to take your hand, which you obliged. 

"Is this safe?" 

"Do you care?" 

You laughed. "No, I don't!" You stood with him through the skylight, leaning on the roof of the minibus. Sakamoto teased you before Takamaki hit him to keep him quiet. The houses and streets rushed by as Akira called out various landmarks and short stories. The entire time, his arm was secure around you. You leaned into his chest and closed your eyes, hanging on his words. You didn't need to see the town; you'd explore it thoroughly on your own while you practiced parkour. Seeing it now would only spoil the adventure. 

And living your dreams with Akira Kurusu was one journey you wanted to enjoy to the fullest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's the end of Journey!! thank you all so much for following me while i wrote this, and thanks to everyone who's reading now that it's done! if you like my writing, i started an instagram account for my fanfiction at excerpts.from.a.fangirl and it's the best place to get updates on my upcoming fanfiction: Persona 5 Royally Rewritten! even though it isn't reader insert, i hope to see you all there! and maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe i can be persuaded to add onto journey if someone has a really good idea for a oneshot-


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